“No matter how little money and how few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich.”

Louis Sabin

Max. What a great dog. Of course we missed him while we were on vacation. He is such a huge presence in our lives – “HUGE” being the operative word – and he fills the entire house with his presence.

So Monday I took him in for his annual check up with the vet. It turns out once we program in his breed, his size, his weight and his actual birth date he is a little older than we thought. 94 to be precise.

Then I remembered Monday was also my dad’s birthday, and that four years ago he turned 94.

I asked Max what he thought about it all and his response was, “I’ll let them get another stool sample if they give me another cookie.”

Other than being about five pounds heavier than ideal (he weighed in at 110) Max is doing really well for an old guy. And, while he may be slowing significantly and he is having trouble getting up and down due to muscle loss in his hind quarters, he received a clean bill of health.

The vet did ask me to reduce his food intake, cut the length of his walks, and give him Carprofen twice a day for pain and inflammation.

Plus, and this comes directly from Max himself, more scratches behind the ears, more friends stopping by to admire him and more belly-rubs. The belly-rubs alone, he says, will cure pretty-much anything.

But I do understand that, at more than twelve years old and after six years with us (July 25, 2020 was “gotcha day”), Mr. Max really is a seriously old dog.

Fact is, we all need the kind of unconditional love and complete affirmation a dog like Max offers. It’s like he was sent by God to remind me and to teach me and to reassure me.

The world is a kinder and more accepting place when we remember how loved we are. To me, this is one of the more powerful proofs of faith and trust in God. God loves us, pouring into us and filling us up with unconditional affirmation. How can we not respond in kind? How can we not offer that gift to the world around us?

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” – Jeremiah 31:3

In love, and because of love – DEREK