With Ufi basically guaranteed to be enjoying Thanksgiving with us, I thought I would give an update on him.
Monday will mark four months since his cancer diagnosis. At the time, we were hoping he would be with us for about two months. Our vet thought we could have him for the summer. Now, he is almost through the fall. I never imagined he would be with us for Thanksgiving. What a gift to bring thanks.
The thing in his foot is growing. Ufi is slowing. Still, he goes for his walks every day. He doesn’t take the longer walk with Scorpio. But Ufi is making it around the block. On his walk, he rolls in the grass and hides on grandma. She can’t find him under the bushes. At least that’s what we pretend.
I wrote before about Ufi guiding to the best of his ability. Even though I don’t expect it. Even though I bring my cane. Ufi still wants to protect me.
Today, he started falling behind me and slowing his pace. Since he had been walking well for him, rolling, and hiding under bushes, I didn’t think he was struggling. So, I slowed a bit expecting he was warning me of something in the path.
Eventually, he began pushing his head into my left leg. He was shoving me to the right when Mom said, “Look out.” There was a dumpster on the sidewalk. Its door was open and hanging right over the path of travel.
Ufi is an amazing boy!
This afternoon, he wanted to play with his beloved ring. Now, he can only play for 10 or 15 minutes. Still, I can’t stop smiling as I listen to him enjoying what once entertained him for hours.
Sometimes, I think about Ufi running free and it brings tears to my eyes. Today, I was imagining him racing through a field he used to visit. Remembering the sounds of his feet racing through the grass, his heavy breathing, and the smash of his teeth as he grabbed his ring from the air made me wish for those days again.
Carefully following him slowly around the yard until he dropped his ring reminded me of how the two of us have always worked to bring what we could to each other’s lives.