On February 17th, I bought a little guinea pig.  I named her Sparkler.  She was my baby.  I loved her very much.  Sadly, on August 19th, she passed on. The vet thinks she at something that cut up the insides of her intestines.  She died after being ill for a week.

On Tuesday at lunch, I decided to tell the vet I wanted to have Sparkie put to sleep.  I could tell she was in pain.  She was so weak.  She could barely hold up her head.  During lunch, I just held her and told her how much I loved her and how much I appreciated the little time we had together.

We (all the teachers) had dinner out that night to welcome Nick and Jessica and say goodbye to Jon and Joanna.  When I got home, I took Sparkie out of her cage.  She purred and squeaked a few times, and then that was it.  I firmly believe she waited until I got home so we could say goodbye.

Life hasn’t really been the same.  In some ways, I feel silly for getting so attached to a little rodent.  But she was a good friend.  She listened to me rant and rave when I had a bad day.  She made me laugh with the cute or silly things she did.  The worst part of it all is the quiet, all though I’m starting to get used to it.  Sparkie, even though she was a little thing, was surprisingly vocal.  She let me know when she wanted more treats (oranges, green peppers and apples mostly).  It’s getting easier with time.

I had her most recent picture printed and now I have it hanging over my desk at work.  I talk about her with my kids.  Many of them remember Sparkie from the day I brought her in.  I have the same picture framed.  I put it in the same place her cage was.  Next to it is a huge bamboo plant Joanna gave me before they moved out.

Sparkler