My half day at the office is nearly over. I've done a bit of work, had a meeting, and grazed on high fiber cereal, and about an hour later the smallest bit of salmon left over from yesterday's lunch. There is a chill in the air most mornings that says fall is coming. I love autumn, but it's arrival is both happy and sad this year.

I can't wait to get home and walk the dog. I am starting to get used to her being around. Not so used to it that I won't be relieved, on most levels, when it's time for my mom to reclaim her...but used to her enough that I already know how much I'll miss her when she's no longer there. It's so comforting to have her around, following me in and out of rooms...knowing that she depends on me to meet her needs, knowing that i'm meeting them, and that she feels comfortable with me and trusts me. But I've become practiced in the art of watching people leave my life. It's still hard though. I'm starting to hate arrivals because of the impending departures that are suggested in them.

It occurs to me that she is the stopgap between my sister's time with me and my time alone, another indication of God's grace.