The Grim Reaper

Today is the Day of the Dead in Mexico, so I hope you are all thinking about death! Hah! I always like to make a point of it. The last time I was in Vancouver I stopped at a Mexican import store on Commercial Dr. where they sell those tiny ceramic skeletons. I bought one that looks like my dog. The ladies who worked there didn't believe me when I told them that it looks like my dog. But as you can see in the pictures I have posted- the resemblance is definitely there. (black and white photo is taken by Jan Gates)

Anyway, after purchasing the skeleton dog I was reminded of a beautiful dog I knew when I worked in a vet clinic. This dog unfortunately got cancer and came into the clinic a lot for treatments. In every vet office there is a someone who comes to pick up the dead bodies of the animals that have been euthanized and brings them to a cemetary or crematorium. My experience with these professional dead animal picker uppers, and I've met a total of 3, is that they are exceptionally nice but smell a little like smoke. Probably it's just because they smoke in the car, but it still makes you think of burning bodies... Anyway, the guy who did pick ups for this particular office was very sweet and had an English accent. One day he came by and there were no bodies to pick up. But that dog with cancer was there. He scratched her under her chin and told her she was beautiful. A week later she died.

It made me think "I hope this is how it goes for all of us". Not that I hope we all get cancer and die, but I hope that the Grim Reaper is actually a very sweet man,with and English accent. Maybe he smells a little like smoke but when he comes to see you, he will just scratch you under the chin and tell you that you are beautiful.

So happy day of the dead friends! I hope you will take a moment to remember all of those wonderful dead people and animals in your life.