The decision to put BJ to sleep was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But this was no longer the BJ I knew. He was walking into walls, into furniture… and it hurt to see him so lost, sick and suffering. We knew it was time.
Jody and I took him to the vet to put him to sleep. I decided that I had to stay in the room with him until the very end, until he was gone. Jody stayed there for me. I just couldn’t leave him in a room with the doctor and the nurses, scared, unable to see and not knowing what was going on. So we stayed there until he took his last breath. BJ had spent his whole life by my side and I owed it to him to do the same.
Knowing when to let something you love go is a milestone you never want to have to reach. Letting go of something you love hurts, but you do it more for them than for you. It truely is the ultimate sacrifice. I could have tried to keep BJ around longer. Maybe it would have only been a few more days or weeks, but that would have only been selfish of me and unfair to him. Even as I write this it hurts. No one said all milestones in life would be great. But, out of my almost 40 years BJ gave me all of his 17 and I can’t ever forget the love he gave to me.
So you think that it's over,
That your love has finally reached the end.
Any time you call, night or day,
I'll be right there for you if you need a friend.
-Tesla
24 days and counting!