My family has boiled down to just my dog Annie and me. Think of us as a cautionary tale for those considering marrying an older man and not having children. Someday he might be gone, and there is a chance his children--if he has them--will no longer consider you part of the family. Or perhaps you and Mr. Right moved far away and now you don't have the means to move back to where they live.
Last week, I told about how I need to give my other dog, Chico, away. I have not found a home for him yet. He is still in the kennel. But I do have lots of people looking, so I'm hopeful. I really don't feel that I can bring him back to the house. He's too much for me to handle alone. When I started this particular dog-journey, I had Fred here to help. For those who haven't been following along, my husband is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's Disease. Who could have predicted that when we got married almost 25 years ago?
Meanwhile, Annie and I have really bonded. Through an artic freeze and through the current barrage of rain and wind, we have spent most of our time together. We walk together, we eat together, we sleep together. When I cry, she licks my face. When she wakes me up in the middle of the night, I stagger down the hall to let her out. Sometimes she just wants company. I understand. We have both lost our partners. I no longer feel like her mother; we're companions, housemates. We take care of each other. With luck, we'll grow old together.
At least I'm not the weird old lady with a dozen cats. I'm too allergic to them!
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