[Gpdd] Rainbow Bridge: Liberty

[ME]

Carole, I've had at least one piggie since I was five years old ...  
time between pigs was usually only a few weeks at most, except for  
three years when I was off at college.  My pig died when I was a  
freshman, and my parents decided not to get another one since I was  
only home on holidays and I was the only one that really paid  
attention to them ... after that, home just didn't feel like home.

When I got married, I started by just having single pigs, just like I  
did as a kid ... but after about five years, I decided to get a  
friend for my little one since I wasn't home as much ... and then I  
found another cute one and three couldn't be that much more to take  
care of than two ... and it just continued from there.  When I lost  
the four in close succession, I had had eight pigs earlier that  
summer ... and half of them were getting up there in age ... so it  
wasn't a complete surprise.

After I lost them, I decided I wasn't going to get any more ... I  
couldn't take losing any more of them ... but after a few months of  
having just four, I couldn't bear the thought of not having any  
more ... but I decided that I'd keep my limit to six since eight was  
a bit crowded.  So, you see, it has nothing to do with bravery ... I  
just can't live without them.  Sometimes I wish I had fallen in love  
with critters with a longer life span, but I'm forever connected with  
these little ball of fur.

I have two that are around six now (I got them in January 2004, and  
were probably around 4-6 weeks old) ... so I know their time is  
probably coming sooner than later ... but I've had some who lived  
past seven and around eight, so I'm hoping they'll do the same ... at  
least right now, they're both going strong.  But amid the pain of  
loss, I know I have the joy of memories as well as the making of  
memories with new little ones ... never replacing those that come  
before, but adding to them ... so I keep getting my little friends  
and enjoy their antics while they're with me.