Thanks, Lillian. Every time I try to carve out the time I either find some excuse to take something else on or life hands me another challenge.
Reilly's 12 and the vet suspects a brain tumor; he had a seizure on New Year's day and has been have small episodes ever since. We've been basically spotting him going up and down the stairs for a while, but this morning my daughter and I had a dickens of a time getting him down. I'm sleeping downstairs on the sofa with him tonight and will do so indefinitely, now, since he'll be confused and anxious if we leave him down here alone. It'll be so hard to see him go. We got him as a pup just two weeks before my mom laid down to take a nap and never woke up. She was only 65, and her sudden loss propelled me into a pretty severe depression. He was the soft, sweet, bright spot while my little ones were in school.
You're right in that reality will always be here to deal with. Kinda rots, though, lol!