A to Z Challenge -The Letter P - Purpose

I am participating in the “April Blogging From A to Z Challenge” for 2018.  Except for Sundays, but starting with Sunday April 1, I will be writing a post each day in April.  Working through the alphabet, by the end of the challenge I will have posted 26 writings.  

Purpose

It’s been a week since our puppy Rico passed.   I am having a lot of feelings.  Some of them are easy to recognize, others are not. 
We had a routine around here, much of it involved Rico.   When he was a pup and young boy, he would wake up bright and early.   During the last few years he preferred to sleep in and most days we would be up before him.    Whatever his wakeup time was, though, as soon as he opened his eyes and stretched, either Ross or I would immediately make sure he went out.
That was the beginning of the daily routine.   Before we would have our breakfast, we would prepare his.  He liked to eat at the same time we did.  
There were plenty of walks.  He was a little guy, only 9 pounds so he needed to go out more frequently. 
I guess I was the Rico whisperer because when he barked, Ross would ask me, “What does he want?”
I think I actually could discern the tones of his bark.  “I want to go out” was different from “I want a cookie” which wasn’t the same as “My water bowl is empty.”
Rico was always either by my side or he would keep Ross company in the den. 
I’m pretty sure he did not like to be left alone but he was never spiteful or destructive.   
If we went out, for five minutes or an hour, he would be at the door to greet us. He knew as soon as we came in, we would put his leash on and take him for a walk.  Yes, that was the routine. 
After dinner, his and ours, and another walk, we would settle in to watch TV.
Poor little guy, he would be sound asleep, but at 11:00 we would wake him up and Ross would take him for  his final walk of the day.
I suppose you could say Rico was more than a routine for us, he was our purpose for most of the 17 years we have been retired.

Empty Nest Yet Again.