Lil didn't make a peep last night. I have a tendency to mother everything that breathes, so I still got up to check on her, but she was fine. In fact, she was snoring quietly with a smile on her gorgeous little face.
I took a moment to be thankful for her relatively good health, as well as her overall presence in my life. I never would have gone out and adopted a dog because I work some long hours, and didn't think I could manage. Because Lil was already family, there was no question that she was going to live with me when my mom could no longer care for her, so I had to get creative. With the help of friends, I managed to make it work, and it has been soooo rewarding that I can't even begin to explain it.
Yesterday, while we were walking near the ocean, two men in their late 20s came up to us and asked if the Dogger was for Lil (she was skipping along next to it instead of riding in it at the time). When they found out she was nearly 17, one of them got tears in his eyes and said I must be a super nice person to look after her so well. I thanked him, and didn't say much else because I wasn't sure what to say at the time. Last night, as I watched Lil sleep, I thought of what I would have liked to tell him: That's what you do for family. You care for them, even when they're old and frail. I know that my dog will run through fire for me, no matter how old she is, so I want to be her best friend and protector, too. There's a love on this planet so true and pure that it can only come from the soul of a dog, and I hope that I'm able to repay it sufficiently.
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