She Looks Good For Her Age

This is my dog Asti. I have written about her several times. I wrote about when a utility worker threw a rock the size of a fist that hit her, I wrote about her vestibular neuritis which at the time I thought might be a stroke. She is my friend, my beloved, my gorgeous dog. She is by nature regal. She still sits guard looking more like a sculpture from Egypt than a family pet. Her posture, even at her age is impeccable. She turns 16 years old this month. Every year that passes I remain awe struck by her love, her loyalty and her stamina. She is 112 years old in dog years. She continues to round up the wiener dogs, put fear in the minds of strangers who dare approach, and ignores the other furry friends who may wander over to give her a good sniff.
She has failing eye sight, her hearing is now selective, but her bark remains fierce. Her love for Mike, me and the children has no bounds. She is as loyal now as when she was a puppy. We cater to her now. She has earned her spoiling after of years of keeping the kids safe, guarding the house and reigning in the other furry friends. She has the biggest cushion, the first choice at bones and extra time being petted and pampered. Really, it's the least we could do, after all of her years of service.
Asti never had special training to watch over children, yet she took to the job as if born for it. I have on many occasions referred to her as my "Nanny" like in Peter Pan. Her instincts were to take care of our kids no matter the cost to her. She would run in constant circles for hours making sure the perimeter of the yard was secure from intruders. God help you if you tried to gain access to my house when I was a single mom. Asti took great pleasure in making grown men scream and cry. She never once stopped Michael from coming over, but when we split for a time, the other men I attempted to date got iced out by the gate keeper. I saw grown men, big, rugged, strong men, beg my dog for access to the house. They tried bribing her with treats which she never accepted one, not one. They spoke in that sweet sing-songy voice as if she were a child only to have her raise up leaning on her front paws, baring her teeth getting ready to strike. Yep, my dog decided who I needed to marry and wasn't giving up until she could make it happen. I confess that early on when I was trying to date, I was at first frustrated by her lack of compassion for me in my loneliness. Later I understood how right she was and how her instincts were so much better than mine. I have never questioned her since.
My beloved is 16 years old. She still runs being leader of the pack. She still loves all of us without condition. She remains patient, loyal and protective. She is one of her kind, a rare and precious gem. There is no other dog in the world like her. I celebrate her now, as I celebrate her always, knowing just exactly how extraordinary she is. There are a million cliche and cheesy marketed goobies that refer to the fact that dog is God backwards. I am not a goobie collector, but if I were, that would be the one for me to have. I am a fan of truth even if it comes in the form of t-shirt or paper weight. Asti is about as close to a heavenly being as I have ever met.