My dearest friend

So I have not written in quite some time and I know I am probably writing to myself since I only have one follower. But today I write as a way to fill my heart with warmth and not sadness. Today I had a realization that life does change and people age and subsequently pass away. This past year, our family has lost a grandma to cancer and a grandfather to a heart attack. These losses has been huge for our family and has come to remind me of how precious life is and that we should not take one day for granted and tell the ones we love the most just how much we love and care for them, even if the moment does not feel right. Because one day the time will come when you can't say or do anything at all.

Today, I took my dearest friend in to the vet for a check-up and learned that the lump on my dogs neck could be cancer. The room fell silent and again I could feel my heart race just as it did with the loss of our other family members. I remember looking at him and he seemed to smile, but he noticed my emotions and drew nearer to me, as if to give me comfort. As the doctor told us to go to the waiting area I reflected on what was just told to me and I thought about the playful labrador retrievers that were there waiting for their appt. They were hyper and moving from one place in the room to the other, not minding who they may take down on their way. I looked at my labrador retriever and he was calm, sitting, right next to me. Knealing perfectly as if he had completed obedience school. For a moment, I remembered him as that puppy. Full of energy and excited about what was to come. I also remember wishing when he was that puppy that he would be that calm dog sitting next to his owner with exquisite obedience and today he was that calm dog. However, my heart broke as now I realized what comes with that maturity. Now to a normal person, someone might note he his a pet, just a dog and I know this to be true, but he is my dog. Many people have found the love in the movie Marley and Me, but for me I lived that same life with my lab. The movie for me just reaffirmed my love for him. He is my confident, comforter, playmate, and friend. He has been someone to cry on and to. He has watched over my children, cradling them and fostering their love of animals. His patience and trusting love has touched our family as much as any other family member would.

So today, I am reminded just how precious my sweet Maverick is to me. I pray that the doctor is wrong and that I can savor this precious time with him, but in my heart, I know I am just on borrowed time. So for now I am relishing in his company, taking extra pictures, giving extra scratches, treats and most of all telling him over and over how much we love him.