Are you ready?

Are you ready for anything?  I like to think that I can handle almost any situation that may come up in my life ranging from life and death emergencies to deciding what kind of gum is best for teeth brushing.  In reality, I don't think I am as ready as I need to be.  NO - I AM NOT A PREPPER!  I will never be a prepper.  I actually cannot grasp the paranoia behind the need to prep for the apocalypse.  Sick people that need help.

But I am mentally ready for just about anything.  Death, of course, is something that is very difficult to be ready for although I don't think I will need to be ready for my death.  I plan on living to 100.  Since I have my death already figured out, I surely am not going to ready for it anytime soon.  It is the death of others that is hard for me to ever consider getting ready for.

My dog, Maddux, turns 14 years old today.  In his prime, he was the best dog I have ever hunted over.  He nose was incredible.  He was fast.  He was driven.  He could mark 2-3 birds down at the same time.  Maddux is no longer in his prime but his drive is still there.  I am not ready for his death - not at all.  

Maddux on a recent trip to Wyoming

My wife has asked me to get ready for Maddux's passing.  We have agreed on several conditions that must occur before I can bring myself to ease him into the endless sleep.  These include:

• Loss of control over his bladder and rectum
• No longer retrieves stuffed animals in the house
• No longer follows me from room to room  

Thankfully, Maddux has not reached any of these yet but he is old.  He eases himself around the house like an old man.  His head thumps hard on the ground when he lies down.  He pisses himself every now and again (but not enough to qualify).  He gets his ass kicked by a mutt that only weighs 40lbs (Maddux never shied away from other dogs and knew how to quickly put them in their place if they tried anything stupid).  Maddux is old.

Maddux

I am not ready for his passing.  I don't know if I can be.  But the question remains...

Are you ready?  Are you ready for anything ranging from a life and death emergency to picking out the right gum to brush your teeth?  Are you ready for what life throws your way?