I’m grateful for this sweater that I’ve had for so long I don’t even remember where or when I got it. Decades ago, for sure. It’s soft old cashmere, and feels like a hug. When new, it was for dress up. It’s got a few small holes, and always slips off my right shoulder; now I can only wear it at home alone. Every now and then I put it in a pile to give away, but I always pull it out to wear before I get that pile packed off somewhere, and decide again to keep it.

I’m grateful for this old dog I’ve had for so long he’s falling apart, too. But remarkably, though his incontinence continues unabated, his spirit and strength have improved with the magic of prednisone. He once again has a good walk in the morning pretty consistently, though he fades by evening. Back from the brink! How long this rebound will continue is, of course, uncertain; like everything else in life. We seize the day, each day.