An elderly man living with Parkinson’s discovered a shivering senior dog at his gate — and somehow, their unsteady bodies became a source of calm for one another.

and frightened.

We took Mabel to the clinic.

The diagnosis wasn’t catastrophic. A flare in her arthritis, likely worsened by the cold and a small slip during the night. Rest, medication adjustment, heat therapy, and careful assistance would help.

But the scare changed me.

On the drive home, I sat beside Mabel in the back seat while Rebecca drove. My right continue reading …