Joy

“Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable.”

My Dog still has joy in his life. He is blind, crippled and diabetic.

He can barely hobble outside to pee. Too crippled to hike his leg any more. But he still enjoys going outside when he can.

He can't see but he can still feel the sun and the breeze. He can still hear the sounds and smell the smells. He still has joy in his heart.

He gets all of his favorite foods. Every day is Christmas.

He sleeps a lot. Half the time with his eyes open. I have to check his respiration to make sure he is still here. He is on end-of-life pain meds.

He is 110 in human years. I have been giving him an insulin shot every 12 hours for the past two and a half years. That's a long time for a large diabetic dog. His will to live is strong.

He is dying but can still find joy in life and give joy to others. That’s a lesson.

He has brought immeasurable joy into my life. If you have ever truly loved a dog with all of your heart then you know. If you haven't then I can't explain it to you.

People who have never connected with a pet have missed one of God's greatest gifts to mankind.

Dogs and humans became inseparable over 20,000 years ago. Together they have marched side by side down through the ages. There is a reason for that.

I'm 71 and have had three rounds of chemo in the last 8 years. I am trying to outlive him so that he doesn't have to undergo the pain of separation.

We will spend eternity together.