Why Does It Hurt So Much?

  My dog Diesel has a few health challenges including diabetes and heart failure.  I know his days, like mine, are numbered.  Still it pains me deeply to see him struggle at times.

  Last week he had a couple of bad days. I took him to the vet on Friday and his medications were adjusted. Still, the doctor said his condition is usually only six to twelve months before the end.

Diesel June 9, 2017.

  It has been six months so I know each day I have with Diesel is a gift. 

  I have told myself that when the bad days outnumber the good days then the inevitable must be done.  Still, it hurts.

  Diesel has been with me every day - except maybe a handful over the past eleven years.  Much of what I do every day centers around taking care of him.  I talk with him every day as well walk or ride.

  It seems the past couple of days have been better.  He brought his ball to play although it was only a few minutes.  He lets me walk him though it is short and mainly to take care of business.

  I wonder at times if he is doing these for me because he understands... he is smart.

Dog Days of Summer 2017

Summer has arrived in Florida.  The rains over the past week have been hard on Diesel dog because it frightens him so much.  This morning he sat on the back porch and enjoyed the sun fro a while.

He seems to be having more of a challenge with his breathing these days.  I worry about him and do not want him to suffer. 

I know my days with Diesel are numbered but the memories are not.

The Rainbow Bridge and Diesel

I just read an article about the Rainbow Bridge.  I was researching pet loss.  It is hard for me to believe that dogs do not have souls.  And I believe my friends will meet me one day on that Rainbow Bridge.

My dog Diesel has had diabetes for about a year. We manage the injections and special diet.  This week the vet diagnosed him with congestive heart failure.  It can't be fixed.

So we will diligently take the medications and do all we can to comfort Diesel.  It will hurt when it happens.

I hurt already.

Who WIll Do Your Job?

I found out last night about an acquaintance's son who just died unexpectedly.  Not sure the background story. All I know is he was seventeen years old.

I attended a funeral last week for a family friend.  She had a long life and was eighty five.  Just a few weeks ago I had a friend pass unexpectedly. He was only fifty six years old.  Out of nowhere, he was gone.

In December it was my uncle who passed away at age seventy seven.  While that seems young, genetically it was a very long life in our family for a male.

None of us are guaranteed anything beyond this very moment.

Will your job matter tomorrow? Maybe yes, if you are still around.  Likely no, if you are gone.

Who will do your job if you are gone?  Someone. Who? It doesn't matter.

Who will fill your spot in your family and circle of friends?  No one.

Where will you be missed most? 

If the answer is your job then examine your priorities.  If by your family then focus your energy on the things that matter most.

Every Day is Special

My grandson turned seven months old on Christmas Day.  Benjamin is named after my great-grandfather, Benjamin Raleigh Waters.  Well, his middle name is different.

He is a fighter. He had his first surgery when he was three months old.  He has another in a couple of weeks.

Last month my Uncle passed away. He was seventy-seven years old and had been married fifty-eight years.  Among the males in our family he had lived the longest of any I have ever known.  Still, seventy-seven is not a long life by today's standards.

Then last week I had a friend pass away unexpectedly. He was only fifty-six years old.  The shock really hit me because he was five years younger than I.  He had not been sick.

Life is to be cherished every day.  Whether one is a newborn (or newborn at heart), has already celebrated a golden wedding anniversary or just barely (almost) qualified for AARP membership.

One is usually never remembered for the job they do. 

No one is ever remembered for the fortune (or not) they amassed. 

No, people are remembered for the good things they have done, for the relationships they have developed, for the love they have shared...

so live today like every day is special.

A Note to Post Election #TrumpProtest Folks....

To paraphrase the Serenity Prayer "Change the things you can, accept the things you can't."  This came to mind this morning as I watched reports of protesters dissatisfied with the election results.

And to those college students skipping class...the rest of goes like  "and wisdom to know the difference."

Hurry back to class.

There have been 15 presidential elections in my lifetime.  I was not old enough to vote in all of them but I have ever since I became of age.

Relax, boys and girls.   After every one of those elections the sun came out.  

And it will tomorrow as well.

Election Day Means More of the Same....

Today is Yesterday was election day.  I voted.  The unfortunate thing is not everyone eligible to vote will voted.  In the end not much will change. My prognostication...

• The Senate will remain Republican.  
• The  House remains Republican and 
• White House remains crooked has hope.

If I am wrong about anything I hope it is the title....