As happy as your least happy child

Have you ever heard the saying that a mother can only be as happy as her saddest child? It is a true statement.  No mother can feel true happiness if one of her children is suffering in any way.  If my children are sad - I am sad. I am sure all moms/dads feel the same way about their own children. We are all connected and our own happiness can never be greater than the happiness and well being of our children. I also feel this way about my business. One of the hardest things about raising live beautiful four-legged creatures is that sometimes - things go wrong.  Animals get sick despite all our best efforts.  It is the absolute worst and most difficult aspect in raising puppies. Luckily, it doesn't happen often - but when it does, it totally fills me with complete sadness. Sometimes I have a puppy that gets sick here.  I worry about the puppy every minute of every day.  I stay up all night with the puppy around the clock.  I do everything I absolutely can to try and get the puppy well. In over 15+ years of raising puppies we have had 4 very sick puppies. I worried for them as I would worry for my own children. I felt physically ill from worrying and I suppose if I felt any differently, than I shouldn't be the type of person that raises puppies.  I love my puppies.  I love their squishy faces. I love the way they look at you with unconditional love.  I love how puppies make you feel like all is right with the world. To me, puppies are just the purest sense of love. Right now I have a sick puppy that has already left here to live with its new family. I feel horrible. I know that puppy family doesn't really know me and they are suffering because their puppy is sick, and they are worrying because their puppy is sick and I am sure they are just about as unhappy with me as they have ever been with anyone. I take that sorrow so very personally. I just wish they would know that if I could have one wish - my wish would be that the puppy would be healthy right this instant. Puppies are like little kids.  They can be absolutely fine one minute and then they can get sick - just like that. Raising little puppies for a living can be really tough emotionally.  It isn't like having a business where you sell toasters or blenders and if the toaster breaks, you can just replace it.  No one really gets upset with the toaster business because they can just get a new toaster and there is no emotional attachment or deep love for the toaster.  Raising puppies is much more involved. I have a serious and deep commitment to making sure my puppies are healthy, happy and well loved.  When things go wrong, all types of emotions are involved, and most of those emotions are full of heartbreak. All I can do is say, I am so sorry. What can I do to help? How can I make things better for you?   I am not one to pretend that bad things never happen.  I am not one to lie and say every one of our puppies is perfect. Once in a while, puppies do get sick. It happens. I am however the type of person that cares, that feels genuine and true sorrow when something does go wrong, that loves her puppies, that works hard to make sure these kind of things rarely happen and will do the right thing for her puppies no matter what happens. I once read that the measure of a good breeder is not what she does when her puppies are well, but what she does when things go wrong. I am here for every one of my puppies.  Today, Tomorrow, and every day after that. Hopefully that is enough to weather the storms that pass by once in a great while.