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 On the heels of losing Charlie, Gracie crossed the Rainbow Bridge as well.  At least Charlie was there to show her the ropes, and with any luck, she might see her littermate, Dave, my once cat that disappeared when I got Charlie. Gracie was a sweet and beautiful kitty.  I didn't realize that I had grown accustomed to her presence in the kitchen - on the counters, tables, and even the chairs.   This was a quieter grief, but profound nonetheless.  I was more prepared for Gracie.  I wasn't surprised - she had Feline Kidney Disease stage II, and had dropped so much weight she looked like a skeleton kitty wearing a fur coat. Poor thing.  She was Angela's cat.  Angela, my sister, apparently got Gracie and Dave together as a package deal, and rather than keep both kitties, she gave me one.  To take the place of the one I lost to the dog, I watched for her.  That's a much longer story than is needed for this post.  Letting go of Graci...

 We lost my dog, Charlie, yesterday.  Even though we helped him cross the rainbow bridge - I am broken.  Charlie was the best dog ever, my sunshine, and my lovebug.  He was a 15-year-old black lab -- I was fortunate to have him in my life for so long, and I know I made the right choice - he was suffering with arthritis and barely able to walk the last few days of his life.  Mark and I were coaxing him outside on trips to relieve himself with treats -- he was walking only a few steps at a time. It's always a surprise to lose someone you love, because the void is cavernous, and this loss has hit me particularly hard.  Charlie was a sweet, goofy black lab.  As labs go, he was a pretty typical maniac until he was about 5.  As he matured, he became an excellent companion who went on many car rides with me. Charlie, like his namesake, my grandpa Charlie, took his time with everything but food.  My Grandpa was always so cool and calm because he'd be...