The day finally came when I had to have Suki put to sleep. Our Siamese cat had been sick a long time. She was 13 years old.
“Nothing can be done,” the veterinarian told me. “She’s too old.”
And so I took her to the animal hospital. It’s for the best, I reassured myself. She’ll be out of her suffering. I signed the necessary papers. When it was over, I climbed into my car, slammed the door, and began to cry.
The next day I called a close friend. “I miss her,” I said tearfully. “It’s almost as though she were one of my children.”
“Remember the good feeling we get during the holidays, listening to Christmas carols?” my friend asked gently. “Well, when something upsets me, I just put on Christmas music. The old, familiar songs always help.”
At first I thought her suggestion strange. Whoever heard of Christmas carols in July? Still, I decided to try it. As I sat listening to the words Silent night, holy night, all is calm I felt the pain lessen. Slowly, a sense of quiet filled me.
“Sleep in heavenly peace, Suki,” I prayed.
