Valuable and brave

Max is my labrador beagle.  We adopted him from the pound so I am not sure exactly how old he is...maybe eleven or twelve.  Max has an arthritic shoulder so he limps, has a bronchial condition aggravated by hot humid weather (he sleeps on the air vent which pours out cool air) and he has a benign tumor.  His hearing and eyesight are not as acute as they used to be.  Just a few days ago, Max returned from a camping trip where he enjoyed the company of his best friend, my daughter.  He rested peacefully on the soft sand at the park.  Back at home, he greets me with his unique beagle "arrrrooooooo."  He sniffs around the backyard, savoring the scents.  My mother is 84 and is dealing with dementia and mobility issues along with diabetes.  Every morning she gets up from bed and with the help of her walker, she moves into her special chair in the living room.  She watches out of the window and prays the sign of the cross..   She looks at newspaper ads and peruses the grocery receipt.  Sometimes she makes me laugh with a funny comment. And though she does not like it, I tell her that she is very brave.   Obviously Max and my mother have special needs that have to be addressed.  However, they are still as valuable and loved as they were before the health issues.