A Gift of Time from God

A story about a dog's lifespan.

For large dogs (or perhaps regardless of size?), the time from age 10 onwards is said to be a gift of time given by God.
Even my wonderfully mischievous Labrador and Golden Retriever
started to show their age after turning 10;

their eyes grew cloudy, their hearing faded, their walks became slow, and they spent more time sleeping at home.

The thunder and fireworks they were once so afraid of
no longer frightened them once their hearing dulled,
and when I called them, they would look the other way,
making me have to accept that they were now senior dogs.

While I felt a little sadness,
my love for them only grew,
thinking, 'Let's cherish each and every day.'
And so, our days were filled with slow, leisurely walks.

As expected of retrievers,
they finished every single meal.
It is said that even when a dog loses its sight
and its hearing,
their sense of smell remains.

The fear that they would one day be gone,
the desire for them to stay by my side forever,
the days spent wishing for nothing to happen,
each time,
Ah. This is the gift of time from God...
I felt that every single day.

And after that gift of time
came to an end,
my days turned gray,

yet time flowed gently,
and now those tears have turned warm,
the memories have become vivid,
and I feel that they are watching over me.

'Thank you. I'm okay.'

Whispering that to the night sky...