It was so selfish of me to bemoan loss of plants and the like- they are replacable - not like those you love. I've had a good share of those losses too- coming up on anniversaries (I hate using that word for sad occasions) of both parents' passing, and my MotherInLaw's too)- and they still are all raw to me. Thankfully, the nieces and nephews have birthdays to counter the sadness one may feel, and it is a way of looking at spirit going on....I'm really chagrinned that I was whining about my shrubs and bushes.