I had it written in my devotional that this is the day we brought Fannie home in 2018. Mr. Sam had cancer and Todd was worried about me losing him so he found a puppy. To distract me?

Mr. Sam lived six more months. It was like having a baby and an aging parent in the house. I wouldn’t recommend it.

But as I was looking at the pictures of that day, reliving the memory, looking into Mr. Sam’s eyes again, seeing how brave he was (and not terribly patient with Fannie) I had a bittersweet sense about time and life and love passing.

Fannie is four years old now. I don’t want her to get old. But I hope she does. Life goes on. Life is in us and all around us. Life is above and below us. It’s the flow of Eternal Life, God’s Spirit, that cleanses, heals, restores, renews youth and passes on from us to others. It is never ending.

The first verse my mom memorized as a child was John 10:27-28. I was reading it this morning before I realized what day it was. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” What a promise when we lose our loved ones and beloved pets. (I always thought Sam looked a little like a sheep.)

I woke Miss Fannie up and took her for a walk then. My bittersweet had changed to sweet.