RARIFIED ATMOSPHERE: WHERE HEAVEN MEETS HIGH EARTH

HI AGAIN,

It's me, Yum-Yum. Dear readers.

What is happening?

Panda Pig passed away from a tumor.

Bear the Beaver Pig has an infection which he actually chewed a hole into, trying to self-heal internal pain and pressure which was not visible until we all went to the vet with PandaPig and mom asked Dr. Berry to take a look at Bear.

Dr. Berry had never seen anything like it in his life!
A guinea pig actually chewing a hole through himself in a valiant, excruciatingly painful attempt to treat his own disease, invisible to everyone but him. And because Bear is in such critical condition, Dr. Berry cannot sedate him for any diagnostic procedures. Dr. Berry tried to explain to mom what is happening to Bear but he isn't entirely certain what this extraordinary infection is or how extensive its damage. That it's damage is SIGNIFICANT and life threatening is all we know. Whether Bear lives is between Bear and God.

All we ask if that he be free from suffering and Dr. Berry shares our belief that quality of life is more important  than intrusive, traumatizing attempts to prolong life because we cannot bear to let go of our little brother. We are learning that Love means when one is  holding a dear one close and letting go at the same time, Heartbreak cracks ya open into crying pieces of gut-wrenching grief. Oh well.

I'm the littlest Pig, raised by Panda, and these are Big Thoughts.

Mom and Edwin both said that when they saw me today they immediately recognized by my eyes that I had changed from a rambunctious Little Grasshopper into a Wise Pig.

OH, PLEASE! SPARE THE DRAMA! I JUST LOST MY BEST FRIEND, MY BROTHER; PANDA PIG RAISED ME.

AND MY ARCH ENEMY FOR ALPHA PIG OF THE HERD LIES DYING ALONE IN HOSPITAL. AND AS MUCH AS I LIKE TO ATTACK BEAR, I LOVE HIM AND CAN'T IMAGINE NOT HAVING HIM TO JUMP AT!

(NOTE FROM EDITOR: REASON FOR NEUTERING.)

ALL BROTHERS FIGHT SOMETIMES, RIGHT? But, it doesn't mean we don't love each other.

If he lives I will never click my teeth and chatter at him and jump and lunge and try to bite him up and then, if I lose, like always, I will not jump into his cage after he turns his back and completely and systematically pee on, chew on, break, tear, and destroy all his favorite things in a fit of revenge. ME? NEVER!

I will offer my front foot with my shorter toenails as a peace offering. SO Bear, live...I'm a new pig, a nice pig, a quiet demure, gentle pig. A...what else?...uh...mmmmm....think, think...

O.K. maybe I WILL do all those bad things again because, let's face it, I'm YumYum and that's how I roll.

But, Bear, it doesn't mean I don't love you. I do. Mom does, and Edwin does, and the cats do, and all the Sanctuary visitors do and some even want to take you home with them. Does that make me jealous?

Of course not!

Or it does, whatever. No biggie, my Piggie! Right?

You are loved, no matter what our shortcoming are. Please be free of pain. Please be free of fear. Please be free of loneliness. Please be free of suffering. Please know we love you so tightly that letting go would break our hearts and we love you enough to endure That, for You, Bear the BeaverPig.

Hey, Bear, I am sorry for all the things I did to your cage that time. If you live, I promise that I will probably do them again, but, it would only be because we are Brothers.

Maybe I have changed.

Maybe not.

YumYum says g'night, see ya, hasta la vista, and send a carrot!