January 12, 2010
Cain and Bear
“Use your precious moments to live fully every single second of every single day.” -Marcia Wieder
It’s a beautiful day and unseasonably warm for January. Jet streams race through a cloudless sky leaving crisscrosses at times; a striking contrast to the brilliant blue of the day. The telltale signs of winter still abound, but grass now shares space with the patches of snow. My mind wanders on this day that teases like summer.
I stare at the red rubber ball, still sitting where it has for so long as a squirrel busies himself on the ground nearby, chattering noisily and unafraid; seeming to know that Bear can’t hear. Bear walks as usual with nose to the ground, pausing occasionally with looks in my direction, oblivious to the taunting. I motion her over to sit by my side, but she chooses my lap instead. The puppy in her has never grown up, and I squirm as all 97 pounds settles heavily on my lap! I whisper into broken ears and remind her of her age. She is 8 years old, the same age as Cain when he was diagnosed with cancer. The thought makes me shudder, and I sweep it from my mind as quickly as it came; continuing to hug her close to me.
Bear
Her eyes dart back and forth as she scans the yard, and I hold her just a bit tighter; savoring this moment on a sunny January day.
