We Get To...

Our sweet Angel turned 14 this past February. She’s a mixed-breed rescue who has been with us through so many seasons of life. Her back legs aren’t what they used to be, but she still gets around with a little help. 

And that’s the thing. Helping her isn’t a hardship. It’s a gift.

We don’t have to carry her outside when she’s unsteady. We get to.

We don’t have to mix shredded cheese into her dog food to tempt her appetite from time to time. We get to.

We don’t have to wrap her morning and evening pills in slices of turkey. We get to.

We don’t have to wheel her around in a wagon so she can still go places with us. We get to.

Every bit of it is worth it.

Just over a year ago, Angel suffered a life-threatening seizure. At the emergency vet, we were told it might be time to say goodbye. The team there saved her life, and we are so grateful. We were heartbroken at the thought of losing her, but we also believed in her. 

We weren’t ready to give up on her, and Angel clearly wasn’t ready to give up either. 

Fourteen months after that seizure, she keeps surprising us. 

She still walks on her own, she still smiles, and she still lives a life filled with joy. Sometimes she even sneaks off into the neighbor’s yard when we glance away for just a second, wandering with a mischievous grin as if she knows she’s giving us one more reason to laugh.

And Angel isn’t the only dog who brings happiness to our home. There’s also Saint, our Labrador who’s about to turn 4. He and Angel have what can only be described as a big-sister-little-brother bond. He drives her crazy sometimes with his boundless energy, while she prefers life at a gentler pace these days. 

Every morning he runs to check on her, tail wagging, eager to say hello. She lights up at the sight of him, though it’s not unusual for her to growl at him a few minutes later when he gets a little too close for comfort. It’s hilarious and heartwarming, a perfect picture of sibling love.

Dogs are more than pets. They are family. And when they reach their twilight years, they simply need a little extra care, patience, and love. That season brings its own kind of beauty. It reminds us that loyalty goes both ways, and that the bond we share with them only grows deeper with time.

Angel shows us every day that joy is found in the little things, in the moments we get to share with those we love. She teaches us patience, resilience, and gratitude. She teaches us that caring for someone we love isn’t a chore, it’s a privilege.

Because we don’t have to love her this way.

We get to.