[Dailydrool] (no subject)

[Teresa Maag]

 For our seniors that give us so much love.

Autumn
What do we do when our loving pets face the last leg of the race?
We do all we can to help them finish well, of course.
We take time to read the unspoken needs of the friends we've come to 
know so well. We give the simple reassurances of a loving touch, when the 
old boy seems confused for no reason We groom them faithfully, but more
gently, as age brings muscle wasting, and the arthritic bones aren't 
so well padded We learn to slow for their sake, as they enjoy the scent 
of the wind, or track a visitor's trail across the yard. We expect to be
inconvenienced, and aren't angry when it happens. We watch for pain 
and treat it, watch for changes in vision and hearing and do what we can 
to help preserve those precious senses for as long as possible. We take 
care of their teeth, and make sure their food is a manageable texture for 
them. We remind them of the need for a potty walk, when they seem to 
forget. We remember the little rewards. We scratch the graying ears and 
tummy, 
and go for car rides together. When the pet we love has an unexplained need 
for comfort, we give it freely. When infirmities bring a sense of
vulnerability, we become our old guardian's protector. We watch their
deepest slumbers, when dreams take them running across long forgotten
fields, and we remember those fields too. When they cannot stand 
alone, we lift them. When their steps are uncertain, we steady them. And if 
their health fails, it falls to us to make the choice that will gently put 
them to rest. But until that is absolutely necessary, we pause to let the
autumn sun warm our old friend's bones. And we realize, autumn is not 
a bad time of year at all. Old age is not a disease or a reason to give 
up. It is a stage of life that brings it's own changes. Autumn is a 
beautiful time of harvest. Sometimes, the harvest is love.

Teresa
Rowdy
Deuce
Yukon atb forever in my heart
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