Transitions

Everything changes.  She used to be so little ~ smaller than the cats, and just as curious.  So smart.  So happy.  So willing to learn something new.  Made herself comfortable in the pack. Four cats, two humans, one canine ~ she was the princess. She knows her left from her right. She knows how to back up without turning around.  She likes apples but not carrots.  She knows not to eat the cat food in the bowl, so she scoops up whatever the cats fling out of the bowl ~ she understands technicalities very well.  She flushed out pheasants and helped dig in the gardens.  When out for walks she always drank out of a thermos, never out of a bowl and we always thread flowers in her harness. She chases robins and squirrels and loves to wash the cat's ears in the morning.  She loves the snow but not the rain.  She has her own spot on the couch and can count to four.  She used to be so little and didn't even know how to catch a ball.  Now she takes a lot of naps and a lot of vitamins.  Now she needs a lift to get onto the couch.  Now things are changing again and we are not ready.  She gets queasy and tired and sometimes a little confused.  Now we walk with the snails and sometimes get up in the middle of the night.  Now we wait for the next change, the final change and then things will never be the same.  It is a heavy price worth paying.  But there is no way to stop it. Everything changes.