Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother
of Pearl Mother’s Day blog series—a nine-day celebration of moms and
mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of
today’s best writers (Tricia Goyer, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Beth Vogt,
Lesli Westfall, and more). I hope you’ll join us each day for another
unique perspective on Mother’s Day.
AND . . . please enter the contest for a chance to win a
beautiful handcrafted pearl necklace and a JOYN India
bag. You can enter at the bottom of this post. The contest runs
5/4-5/13, and the winner will be announced on 5/14. Contest is only open
to U.S. residents 18+.If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please
visit www.pearlgirls.info, subscribe
to our blog, and see what we’re all
about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in
the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy
of Mother of Pearl: Luminous
Lessons and Iridescent
Faith to help support Pearl
Girls™.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!
~
Mizpah by Margaret McSweeney
Mizpah by Margaret McSweeney
On April 14, our family’s precious Pongo passed away. This beloved
Chihuahua was with our family for nearly fourteen years. He played with
my daughters during their childhood and comforted them during the
challenges of adolescence. He rested by my side during breast cancer
treatment and worked alongside Dave in his home office.
Yes, Pongo was always a source of surprises. Before he was one, he
somehow swallowed a brownie patch attached to a string of beads and a
safety pin. That was his first stomach surgery. Then, the following year
he bit off the sharp edge of Mr. Potato Head’s ear. That was the second
stomach surgery. Throughout the fourteen years, we were in and out of
the ER for dogs. He ate a bag of cough drops in the pantry. He jumped on
the table and ate the kids’ chewable vitamins. And the list goes on. . .
.
House guests would always have to place their purses on a table without
chairs. Otherwise, Pongo would rummage through the bags in search of his
addiction: chewing gum! But above all, Pongo’s greatest
gift and lesson to us was unconditional love. Yes, Pongo
brought such joy to the family for so many years. No one could believe
that he actually smiled! He knew how loved he was. I think that is why
he outlived his life expectancy by three years after being diagnosed
with a heart condition. It was his kidneys and stomach cancer that
ultimately claimed his precious life. He passed away peacefully in his
sleep at home.
The day after Pongo died, I read a beautiful Bible verse: Genesis 31:49
And Mizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
Isn’t that beautiful! Mizpah signifies an emotional bond between people who are separated by death or circumstance.
Perhaps, instead we can say:“Mizpaw” to express this same emotional bond between people and their precious pets.Pongo, I love you and miss you so very much. Thank you for being a blessing in our home. You have left a “fur-ever” heartprint in our lives. Mizpaw!
Margaret lives with her husband and two daughters in a Chicago suburb. She is the author of Aftermath: Growing in Grace Through Grief, Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls, A Mother's Heart Knows and the co-author of Go Back and Be Happy. She is the founder and collaborator of Pearl Girls. All the proceeds of books sales from Mother of Pearl (2012) and Pearl Girls (2009) to go support the work of two charities, WINGS AND HANDS OF HOPE. Margaret would love to meet you too. Follow her on twitter (@McSweeney) or friend her on facebook. You can also keep up with Margaret at Kitchen Chat, her weekly radio show. Visit her website.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Post Comment
Post a Comment
Thanks for dropping by my attic! I love comments! Please keep them family-friendly. By leaving a comment you are consenting to your email being collected for communication purposes only.