You know, it’s really funny, but in the final year of Baron’s life (he lived to be almost 11 years old), I sometimes used to reach over in the middle of the night just to hug him to my side because, though he wasn’t sick in the slightest, I sensed that one day soon, I would no longer have that sheer joy.
They are very special companions. Those who have never owned one would quite naturally have difficulty understanding.
You lost an 11 year old child - people should be able to relate to that in some way or form.
“I sometimes used to reach over in the middle of the night just to hug him to my side because, though he wasn’t sick in the slightest, I sensed that one day soon, I would no longer have that sheer joy.”
Along a similar sentiment I made a point to pay attention to my youngest son as he was growing out of infancy and I rocked him to sleep at night with a bottle knowing that the day was coming when that would be a thing of the past. It’s a great memory.