Beau. This one is about our Beau. Our Boston Terrier.

He’s 14 years old now, you know. He’s on Rimadyl, which helps him get about better, and Phenobarbital, which is to help in controlling his seizures.

Beau’s eyes are clouded because of cataracts, but he still has vision enough to handle most situations fairly well.

Because of one of his medicines, he drinks a lot of water, and, of course, has to eliminate it frequently. As in very frequently. He has to go out, if he makes it, several times during the night. As they say, “It is what it is.” We take turns getting up to let him out, Sally often more than I. And when I get up, who am I to complain? I’m up four to five times every — every — night, anyway. Another “It is what it is.”

Beau used to go to the back door, or through the back pet door, to let us know when he needed to go out. When he finished his mission in the fenced-in portion of the back yard just off the porch, he would come back up, then rather impatiently, and loudly, announce his desire to come back in. We had to keep the pet door that opens off the porch closed, as two of our cats love to hustle through it, then zip through the one that opens into the kitchen. Catch them if you can. They are quick.

Now, however, he can’t seem to negotiate the pet doors. This is not a lament about the extra effort involved in taking care of our boy. No, sir. We do it in love and don’t want to even think about, well, you know.

He sleeps a lot, and when I walk by him I often get a bit of “eyeball sweat.” I usually bend down and give him a gentle stroke, or a kiss on his bully head.

He loves us. I suspect that, with him, Sally is first among equals.

He depends on us. And, to the best of our ability, we fully intend to be there for him.

We have been here before, as have many of you, kind readers. And when we lose a beloved pet our grief is real. Very real.

Yet, we understand what a gift that loving and being loved really is.

Such a gift has made our own journeys so much richer. So much sweeter. This, I know, many of you understand.

We are blessed to receive, and to give, such love.