Beautiful, Stubborn Older Lady

Belle is a sweet old southern gal who just happened to spend most of her life in Washington State.   She has been a loving, gentle soul from the day I met her... except when you dare cross her OR you happen to be another dog interested in a leadership role in her vicinity.  Then, you are in trouble.

While this behavior can be trouble in our "blame the dog" society, Belle has never changed her mind about protecting her person (me), not once, in her long walk through this life.  Her unquestioning loyalty has been an inspiration to me on many occasions when I just simply wanted to walk away from one difficulty or another.

Now that she is fourteen years plus some into her dog's life, I am learning about another inspiration that she has to offer me.   She has a cancerous tumor the size of a baseball (and then some) on her left rear leg.  She has a raging infection somewhere in her body that is sending her liver values through the roof.   Yet, still she ambles along, refusing to accept that dying is near.   Unlike mere people, she smells the cancer and knows it grows on her body, yet she dismisses it as long as she can still walk, feel, eat.... she simply has some more living to do and is approaching the end of her life as we all should... one day at a time, until there are no days left.

The gentle fire that still burns in her eyes and all that black, gold, and white fur that keeps growing even in the midst of decline... makes her beautiful beyond measure.

I am fortunate to know more than one beautiful older woman in my world.  Only one is a dog.  The rest are human as we all are. Yet, they hold onto light, vibrance, energy as if they were twenty years old.   True beauty comes from that light within.  And, I have been permanently reminded that just because my body ages does not at all mean that the light needs to age along with it.