Saying Goodbye


Sarah and I worked at Busch Gardens right up until the day before we were packing up our belongings and leaving Williamsburg, Virginia, to move to Columbus, Ohio. We had many happy reasons to be moving on... but we also had one really big reason to be sad: THE ANIMALS! For nine months, we spent virtually every day with the dogs and cats and rats and pigs and parrots and ducks of Pet Shenanigans. We actually spent more time with the animals then we did with other human beings.

The animals were our friends. They were our family. I'd often commented that I didn't think of them as animals - they were personalities. Each one distinct. Each one unique. And each one had made an impression on us. As a result, we knew that our last day with them was going to be a difficult and emotional one. Our morning started with our usual chores and tasks: cleaning, feeding, etc. We did these duties efficiently and swiftly so that we would be able to spend some final quality time with all of the animals. We spent lots of time with each animal, lavishing love and affection on each one. I think that they sensed our melancholy mood, because all the animals were particularly affectionate that day.

Sarah and I were holding up pretty well emotionally as we shared time with the animals and finished our work for the day. But when the time finally came to say goodbye and leave, we lost it. The thought of not seeing these wonderful, sweet, loving animals again was heartbreaking. Their unconditional love. Their genuine desire to please. We were going to miss them so much. No matter how difficult our season had been, no matter what the ups and downs, no matter how tired or frustrated we might have been, seeing these animals each day and seeing the joy in their eyes when we walked into the room made it all worthwhile. The tears flowed freely as we said our final goodbyes. These wonderful animals had found a permanent place in our hearts. They were a part of us now, and we would never, ever forget them.

Posted: 12/18/05