-yearsurvivorofbreastcancer， shehadsufferedtwoheartattackswhenadvancedcancerwasfoundinherlung.
Momhadstruggledtoraisethreedaughterswhileholdingafull-timejob， ， Iknewonlytwothingsaboutmymother： Shehadanironwill， ， shetoldmeathird："I'vehadamiserablelife."
Mydadwasadifficultmantolivewith， butmymomdidnotcomplain， ， mydadregardedherasaburden， sheandIdecidedthatshewouldmovetomyhome.
， foundtransportation， anoncologist， cardiologist， hospicecare， medicalequipment， 'sfinaldayswassimple： Shewouldlivewithlove， anddiewithgrace.
Uponherarrival， afteranexhaustingfive-hourtrip， ， "Howlongdoyouthinkyourmotherhas？"
"Two， maybethreemonths." Isaid.
Thenurselookedatmesadly."Adjustyourthinking，" hesaid."Shehasafewdays， ."
Myhome， smallandcomfortable， .
Weinstalledtheelectrichospitalbedandoxygenmachine， whichfrightenedthecatsfromthebedroom.I'dmovedtheirfurniture， ， ontheotherhand， animmaturedogwithbadhabits， ， barkedandshedmoreprofuselythanusual.
HeisOttowhowasnotafraidofthehospitalbed， 'shospitalbed， andstayed.
， ， ， OttoneverleftMom'sroom.
Dayspassed， andMomstartedtorally."Notunusual，" Iwastold， "arallyisoftenasignofimminentdeath."
， ， shecaressedthedogandwouldnotallowmetotakehim.
， afterthenurseshadgonefortheday， IheardthesoundofMom'， 'sfacewithOtto'spaw， clawsretracted， caressingthesideofherchin.
Eventually， usingawalker， ， ， ， Ottoknew， andduringthosedayshebecameherdogchild， givingherlifepurpose.
， '.
Whenwesawtheoncologistawhileago， hepattedhimselfontheback."Ican'tbelieveit， Lula，" hesaid."Ican'， Ithoughtyouwereashipthathadsailed." Weletthedoctorthinkwhathelikes， butMomgivesthecredittoOtto.
Thankfully， mymotherhasputoffdying， andOttocontinuestosharehisgiftoflove—amedicinemorepotentthananydrugadoctorcouldprescribe.
