Extra innings

Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place in museums; others, we take for walks. ~ Roger Caras


I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a little interweb time to what it’s like providing hospice care for my loyal buddy.  IT’S AWESOME!  I’m not lying.  On top of a lifetime of cool adventures and memories together, these are the best days we’ve had because… drumroll… he has no idea anything’s wrong, and I’ve learned to smell the roses with him.  If you almost lose your dog suddenly and violently, then every additional day is a remarkable gift.  And if your dog has an incurable cancer, the only thing that matters is quality of life for the time he has left. 

There’s the medical side of quality of life, and then there’s the day-to-day quality of life.  Longer, slower walks letting him sniff as much as he wants.  An extra treat… or 3 (hey, when you have to keep a dog’s weight up, why not let them indulge.  I know I’d have extra dessert everyday if I needed to regain weight).  More quality time scratching his favorite spots – Asa’s ahhhhh spots are behind his ears, around his collar, and under his neck. 

Just paying more careful attention to him as we walk and play outside and hang out inside has reopened my eyes to the miracle that is my loyal boy.  He loves lying in the sunshine and will find even the tiniest ray on a cloudy day.  He loves slurping and chewing the big fat blades of grass but passes on the skinny blades.  He’s ticklish.  He sits closer to me when I’m laughing at sitcoms, and he goes to the far side of the room when I’m yelling at a game (Sic ‘em Baylor Bears!).  He tilts his head like he’s listening when I read out loud.  He guards my bedroom door when I go to take a shower, and he supervises the kitchen, well, always.  Nowadays when I leave and return home (even if I’m only gone 5 minutes), I’m just as excited to see him as he is to see me – and I must confess, I now give back some of that obnoxious energy at the door.

I’m now admiring him and his idiosyncrasies the same way I did when he was my mysterious new roommate.  It’s not that I stopped paying attention to him for all the years in between (we’ve had some amazing adventures together), but he became an expected fixture in my life, and I probably started overlooking those cool quirks and funny traits that make him MY DOG, my Asa. 

He and his cancer have taught me a valuable, refreshing approach to everyday life, and it has also strengthened my relationships with my other dog (sweet Matilda) and my family and friends too.  Praise God for extra innings…  And for daily opportunities to make the most of the 1^st 9 too.

Tell me about your experience:

1. What makes your pet unique? (or your child or partner or someone else at the core of your home)
2. What’s your favorite memory with your pet?
3. What small everyday events do you get a kick out of?