Flash, the beagle, is truly showing his age. He's slowing down in walking, he sleeps a lot more, and he's not as playful as he used to be. Perhaps the thing that keeps me from getting too depressed about it the fact that he still makes me laugh.
Granted, now he makes me laugh because he acts and sounds like an old man. He snores. He occasionally coughs and wheezes like a 2-pack-a-day smoker. Perhaps the funniest thing is his recent congestion. His nose seems to be always stuffy, and when he sneezes... well, suffice it to say that hope you are no where near his nose. My hope is always that he's outside, or at least near the tissue box so I can clean him up.
The other day, my husband took Flash outside and after calling to him a couple of times, burst out laughing. When I asked him what was so funny, he explained: Flash had come outside but rather than walk with him, he stood on the deck, very still. My husband called him, but he just stood there looking confused. Suddenly, he looked up briefly and then sneezed the biggest sneeze ever--so hard that he banged his jaw on the deck.
As silly as it sounds, it's kind of sad to think that our beloved pets won't be with us forever. Perhaps laughing makes it easier to deal with and gives us a way to continue to enjoy their company even when they're becoming old, leaky and crotchety. Flash doesn't seem to mind our giggles; he's still always open to belly rubs. And we're always happy to provide them, just as we always have.
