A tough decision

So far, 2011 has been a great year! But this week has been a tough one. We haven't had one glimpse of sunshine since I can remember. It's been non-stop rain and overcast. I am a firm believer that weather really does come into play with people's emotions.

This week has prompted a lot of soul searching. Where am I going? What are my goals? What do I believe? Who do I want to spend my time with? Can I please everyone and still be happy? What do the next few years of my life look like? It's sort of a feeling inside that I can't quite pinpoint. At times, I think we enter times of personal reflection and we begin to draw back and become quiet. That's been this week for me.

I also had to make one of the toughest decisions I've had to make in a while. I expect to receive many opinionated comments, as I already have via twitter and facebook. Some saying I did the right thing and others disagreeing.

...I found a family for Tyke this week.

Excuse me while I grab a tissue, quite literally. I have been a crying mess this week just seeing his little bowl and Kong toys around the house. It's been brutal.

Let me back this up to December. Tyke was found by a family on the side of the road in the pouring rain. He had no collar, tag or microchip. No form of ID. They posted a rather desperate ad needing to find an immediate home for him because the father of that family had a disability and they could not take care of him. They were going to have to take him to a shelter if no one would step up and take him. So, I did.

Tyke was such a blessing in my life. My little puppy-man was my running buddy, my cuddle buddy and my general protector. He was the best dog I have ever had. However, he was crated for 12+ hours a day. Being a almost 90 lb lab that he is, I just began to feel really bad about that. I also began to travel quite frequently, both for work and personal, where Tyke would be boarded for days on end. I felt that he was not in the most positive situation and I felt horrible.

A few weeks ago, I began to put some feelers out to close co-workers and friends in Atlanta. Turns out, a co-worker's neighbor emailed me about Tyke. They not only have a fenced yard for Tyke to run and play all day, but the mom works from home all day where Tyke wouldn't have to be in a crate for hours. The family has two little girls who showed him so much love and play. After several trips to their home to meet Tyke, and me getting to know them too, Tyke was adopted by this family yesterday.

Gosh, I am bawling while writing this post....

Though it was and still is so sad and so hard, I know I did the right thing for him. I took Tyke in when he had nowhere to go and no way to know where he came from. I provided a loving home for him. I cleaned him up, got him healthy, fed him good and helped him learn to socialize with other dogs at daycare. I can rest assured at the end of the day that I was a good temporary mommy to Tyke.

Tyke is a lucky boy to be with this new family. They absolutely love him and told me I can stop by if I ever need a Tyke-fix. The girls even drew me pictures of Tyke saying how excited they were and how much they already love him.

So, ya, it's been a tough week. Lots of thoughts going on, decisions to make, internal evaluations being made, and then parting ways with my little man. He will always hold a special place in my heart.