When this request was first put to me, I thought "These people are absolutely whacked."
Certainly it was out of the ordinary.
"Can we bury our dead cockatiel in your yard? "
Whacked, I tell you. Seems so at first glance.
Extenuating circumstances exist: these folks have birds and cats and live in an apartment house. Where might they bury a beloved pet when they live in an apartment house?
One of the perks of making mortgage payments is that we do have a place to bury small pets that have died. Three kittens, a cat, and an opossum inhabit our 'Pet Sematary' . And now, a cockatiel. While it seemed an odd request (okay, it is odd); to let them bury their bird in our yard was actually a great kindness.
It cost me little to be kind to them. Five minutes to find a spade and dig a small hole. Five minutes more to share their grief at the loss of a pet. As a pet owner I realize that I am responsible for the life of a pet and at the end of a pet's years, responsible for their death.
Like many responsibilities, it is uneasily borne.
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