“In a family, pets can be nearly as important as people. Explaining the cycles of life to a child can also be demanding.“

The words, I found hard to deliver, 
	"Topper, our pet, passed away."
The lips of my young listener quivered,
	And I watched his face wilt with dismay.

A twelve year old cat is quite ancient,
	But a four year old heart's still so young.
I held the sad child, being patient,
	And hoping the right words would come.

Life, at times, seems unrelenting, 
	When you're young... or even old.
Stories can have happy endings,
	But real life can't be controlled.

Our trail's a gauntlet of passions.
	Up peaks and down valleys we go,
With the strength of our 'highs' partly fashioned
	By the relative depths of our 'lows'.

"No, son, there's nothing can save us
	The grief that we feel, but I'll say
That the memories old Topper gave us
	Are worth all our sorrow today."