Changes in life are natural

You can expect life changes, there's no getting around that. On my website, on the about me page, which I wrote last year including my Mom, and my animals, each very important and dear to me. Well, some major changes occurred this year. It's come in three's, if that number has any significance, I don't know.  Changes have occurred with my Mom, one of my dogs, and my oldest pig.  Mom had a stroke in April, my oldest dog, Chi Chi,  died while Mom was in a nursing facility, and then two months later I had to make a very difficult decision and put down Skunk, my oldest potbelly pig.  Skunk was born on a very cold Winter morning of 1995, one of the two that survived in a litter of eight, I found alive. His surviving brother didn't live more than a couple weeks, so Skunk was spoiled all his life. I even took him to work with me that Winter and he slept on a heating pad under my treatment table in my office. He was so cute with a white diamond on his forehead. He was always well mannered and never gave a minute of trouble. Pot belly pigs are very smart and since they're the only pigs I've ever had, all I can say is they are one of the best pets.  Skunk was special, as all pets are with their unique, distinct personalities.  Skunk was aged and I didn't think it was fitting or fair for him to suffer any longer. His legs had gotten so arthritic that he could hardly walk. I did all I could by giving him what the vet told me and all I could think of to make his life as comfortable as possible. The Summer heat is very stressful on animals, and that heat was going to intensify his suffering. I couldn't think of him suffering more than he was already.  I never imagined having to make such a decision for another living being. I weighed my decision for weeks, and wondered if I could live with myself in the decision I was going to make. God knew I cared very much for Skunk and I knew in my heart that Skunk knew I loved him from first sight. He had brought me years of joy and I hoped he had as good a life as any pig could every have.  My oldest dog, a black lab, died peacefully a few months before Skunk.  She also had a long good life in dog years. I'm sure anyone that's cared for a pet fully understands how I felt and still feel. I buried her myself, then went to the nursing facility with Mom.  Mom has been slowly improving with medication she's had to learn to take for the first time in her life. It's been an adjustment for her because she has always been so anti-medication or anti-drug of any sort. I thank God for medical doctors and their training.

Once new,  time ages and brings changes to all things

Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com

Life calls for changes - we get aged and old. Sometimes it's easy to adjust, sometimes it can be a monumental challenge to adjust to natural life changes.  But we must. It's a natural part of growing each day. I thank God we have loved ones about us to help us with this.  I'm up for the challenges of every tomorrow God grants me. I can do it with the strength He gives me. It's going to be interesting, that I know.

As for anti-aging, well, all we can do is age with grace with the blessing of God, and do all we can to remain as healthy as possible to be as productive as possible to the last breath we're granted.  Check out my website on health and be sure to click on the links on the home page, such as Everything Anti-aging.

Keep young at heart, and keep nurturing loving relationships.