Sorrow and Joy

We grieve the loss of her, but we are so relieved with the way it happened. After a long struggle with cancer, our old faithful dog, Nomonde, departed on a recent Sunday night alone while we were in the refectory remembering what she meant to us. We had planned to put her to sleep the next morning because she seemed very near the end of her resources and we didn't want her to suffer anymore, but she died at home in the comfort of our common room in the monastery with a fire still burning in the fire place as if she decided it herself. It was one of her favourite places to be. She had been with us for about 10 years, almost the entire length of time that the monastery has been in existence. We raised her from a puppy.

She will never be forgotten, but we have also fallen in love with the new addition to our monastic community. Having been with us just over a week, Molly is a 3 month old chow and is just a bit larger than Nomonde was when she arrived. Her curiosity is insatiable and she is a very quick learner. And we are enjoying the adventure of raising a puppy again. We almost forgot what it was like. She has also captured the heart of so many of our visitors. So we think she will stay.

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