It is like I met my mother and was sucked into a black hole by aliens. I know I've been happy. I know that life has been good. Still, I look back on a multitude of fosters and flowrers and vegetables and years and I think, "so long but so short". Still, so long?
My mom adopted me when I was about nine months old. She knew I was the one. She knew from the first glance at my petfinder.com posting. Then we met. We met and it was to be! We've been so happy and we will continue to be happy as long as we are allowed.
Life is funny. I could live beyond the allotted time of a big dog or be taken tomorrow. Mom could be 108 one day, touting a kale smoothie each morining as the key to longevity, or she could be taken on the way to work by a careless driver.
Not to be a downer. Just... cherish, won't you? Cherish and love and appreciate. So that you won't regret. You can sorrow but that is not the same thing. Don't regret.