From the furry side
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My old Lady Lady was a stray, a rescued dog. I got her in 1996, and we're guessing she was about three or four then. That makes her 14 or 15 now—a good age for a beagle, though her early abuse makes her more fragile, I think.
She has kidney problems, and disk/spine difficulties. Moving hurts her; she gets up and down awkwardly and uncomfortably. Of course, I do the same—same sore hips and shoulders, same reluctance to stand up and move, to sit or lie down again. Nonetheless, Lady loyally follows me around the house, rising with pain to escort me to the bathroom or kitchen, rising again to accompany me back to my computer or book.
Lately, as she lies at my feet while I read or write, I hear her moaning. Not crying out in pain, but a soft crying or groaning. So we visited our friend, Dr. Clint Kay, of Meadows Animal Clinic here in Boulder, this morning, to discuss quality of life. It was not a discussion I was looking forward to.
He looked her over carefully, then pointed out three things: {1} she follows me around, so she is willing to move in spite of her discomfort, {2} she greets me when I come home, so she's aware and still loves me, and {3} she is a good eater. Until those change, the only interventions we will look at will be around pain control.
I think of my relationship with my friends, with my Lord. I want to be near them; I look forward to seeing them. And I'm certainly a good eater! Maybe that one is more, am I in the Word, drawing nourishment from God's words to me in His Book? Yes, I am.
Then I shouldn't complain about my quality of life. I just want to sit at His feet, feel His hand on my head, and listen to His voice. Forever.
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