as dogs measure time

As dogs measure time, I cannot say for certain that Dexter or Comet realize that the baby visiting us this afternoon, will soon be walking; one day in the future he will be attending his first day of kindergarten. In a couple decades, he will be starting his first day at work. While I hope to celebrate most of Zander’s big moments with him, it is a fact that my critters will only see a few of them. For now, they are so curious as the little man crawls around the living room with Gramma. It was not long ago that Zander only started to recognize faces and grin when he saw me. And only two Christmases ago, we first celebrated with Comet in the family.

As humans measure time, I am more than seven times as old as Dexter and very nearly twice as old as my grandson’s father. With the advances in medical science, I might yet be able to play golf as my great-grandfather did a couple years shy of his hundredth birthday. If I am still alert and able, perhaps Zander will challenge me with the sports prowess of his uncle Matt. Or with personable charm of his uncle Tommy. Or he might help Grampa keep an antique “dog-hauling” car running with his dad’s mechanical ability.

The next milestone, my early retirement, is approaching and it is less than a dog-year away. My spouse and I will have the opportunity to spend more time with our grandson, with each other, and with the critters. Though my dogs never experienced a single day of work, my active retirement is something they have all the time in the world to enjoy.