Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.

                                                 – Sai Baba

Life is crazy at our house right now as we are caring for an elderly black lab who has mobility and heart issues as well as a tumor on his foot.  His age and heart problems make him a poor candidate for anesthesia so the tumor will have to be removed using alternate means of sedation.  Hopefully this will be done once the canine cardiologist is satisfied that the heart problems are adequately controlled with medication.  The mobility issues have been coming on for awhile and are related to none of the above. The vet recommended a harness that helps us lift and stabilize our old boy so that he doesn’t hurt himself trying to get up and we don’t hurt ourselves trying to lift ninety pounds of dog.  This is life’s challenge for us at the moment and we are doing our best to meet it.

I am grateful that Weber is retired and can be home with Adidas during the day.  I don’t know how we would have managed this situation with both of us working.  We do not leave the dog home alone for more than about fifteen minutes at a time.  This means that we have had to adjust our schedules and make some sacrifices with regard to activities away from home.  These are sacrifices that we are offering willingly to ensure that we give our old boy the best possible care that we can.

I’m not sure what the exact words are to the song that I am singing right now, but there is most definitely a song in my heart.  Life is a song and I think its theme is gratefulness.  I’m grateful that Weber is home to care for Adidas during the day.  I’m grateful that we have had the means to provide the medical attention that he has needed.  I’m grateful for the veterinarians who continue to care for Adidas.  I’m grateful for the steps that Adidas takes unassisted and for the days when he eats his entire bowl full of food.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to share this kind of love with a big old black lab.  Life is love.

Life is love.  Like the many different faces of life, that love also has many different faces, all equally beautiful.