Think It Through

So I'm listening in on a conversation between three ladies before my Zumba class. (Oh, whatever.  It wasn't like they were huddled in the corner whispering and having a private conversation.)  One of the ladies is going to Australia (or somewhere on that side of the word) for a long time, either for work or her husband's job or a kid's over there, something.  It's either a move or a long enough trip that things here need to be put in order.  Well, one of the things to put in order was the family dog.  I don't know what they were actually doing, giving it to a family member for some time, giving it away completely, but I do know that they weren't taking him (I guess) with them, even though it broke their heart to be away for that long.
    
This didn't sit well with one of the ladies not going on the trip.  She kept badgering the woman about looking into other options, saying stuff like "are you sure you can't take him with you? And "how hard is it to do this..." and so forth.  And the lady going over seas had an answer for everything.  The dog would have to be cleared by the vet here first.  Then once they arrive at their destination, the dog would have to remain in quarantine for a few months. Months.  By the time the dog was cleared to live in Australia, it would almost be time to start the whole thing over again to come back to the States.  Not to mention, the flight alone from LA to Sydney is 14 hours, and this dog would have to be in a crate in the checked baggage section of the plane, which is not temperature controlled.  Maybe this dog was small enough to fit in a carrier under a seat, but still, 14 hour flight.  (I'll save my it's not fair that little dogs wearing a diaper are allowed in the passenger part but but bigger dogs like my Bailey (who is midsized (and a horrible traveler so I wouldn't take her anyway but that's so not my point)) have to be in a crate in luggage part rant for another day). 

The point? The traveling woman had thought about it, looked into it, and realized the best thing for everyone, though upsetting, was to leave the dog here.   And it really annoyed me that this woman had to defend her choice of doing the best thing. 

I felt that I received a lot of questioning a few years ago when I was struggling with the complete upheaval of my life. (No one in particular, just a lot of questions)  Believe me, I thought everything back and forth inside out upside down and backwards before I came to or announced a decision.  So when someone questions you, it feels like they are dismissing your thought process.  I know often times most people are just trying to help.  But stop trying to do so when you can see the person has  thought it through, but just didn't let you be privy to their entire thought process.