However, 20 years ago, my family lost my second sister, Sally, to cancer when she was just 39. She left behind a 10-year-old daughter, Debbie.
I knew her condition was deteriorating, so I should have expected it. But right down to the last moment, I was still shocked when she passed. She was so young.
The grief I felt was not just about missing a beloved sister. It was also the heartache of knowing that Debbie would grow up without knowing her mother, and Sally would never get to witness any of Debbie’s milestones, like her prom or wedding.
I have never cried at a wedding, but when my brother-in-law Cliff walked Debbie down the aisle, looking so beautiful in her wedding gown, I couldn’t stop ugly-crying. Sally would have been the happiest, proudest mother-of-the-bride.
At Death Over Dinner, when I talked about losing my sister, I felt I was still grieving harder for her than for my aged father, even though his death was much more recent.
Even when we can ‘plan’ when we can put down a sick pet, this ‘expected’ death doesn’t make it easier. The paw parents among us shared about the dilemma we face.
