Thank you for the condolences... it is harder than I thought it would be - and yes... I did see the Jimmy Steward poem and that was strangely fitting for me to read today. My Rosie, an English Springer Spaniel, was not like his Beau.(biting the delivery boy) She had a heart of gold and loved all people and all animals - even my son's gerbil. We had an old feral barn cat that would reach out and smack her if she got within range, she would just duck her head and walk away.
I am trying to think of her happier days when she was healthy and rambunctious... and visualize that she is running and playing again tonight.