Missing Bear

One week ago, on Thanksgiving day, we came home from our dinner to find that our family friend and Steves best pal had passed away. Not something you ever expect or want to find and I can tell you that it wasn't a great ending to an otherwise nice day, it was awful actually.

Let me tell you a little bit about Bear, in case you didn't get the opportunity to meet him. Bear is the sweetest most gentle dog I have ever come in contact with. He always let our kids play with his fur, his ears or his tail without much resistance. Crew and Reagan absolutely adored him. In the last few months Reagan had learned how to get Bear to do tricks like Shake and sit, so every morning she started her day giving Bear treats as he listened to her commands. This is a cool thing to see a 3 year old do. Crew just wanted to play with Bear every chance he got. Crew would chace Bear around the house and grab his tail. If I were Bear I would have been bothered, but he never seemed that way. It always seemed that Bear enjoyed the attention.

The one quality that stood out the most to me about Bear is loyalty. Bear was extremely loyal to Steve. He and Steve have been best buds for almost 11 years, long before I came into the picture, and nothing seemed to be able to seperate the two of them. Bear never left Steves side, day or night. If Bear thought Steve was going somewhere he would throw a fit trying to get out of the back yard and into the car with Steve. I think the worst part of Bears life was when Steve wasn't home. I think if Steve had his way, he would have had Bear with him at work, or on his errands, or whereever it was he had to go. He loved Bear that much too.

We are going to miss Bear tremendously and do every day.

Steve's sweet mother wrote a poem about Bear that I want to share with you...

Missing Bear

His warm fur against my feet
His doing a "trick" for a special treat
His big, brown eyes that understood
All my frustrations and efforts for good.

The "Wildness" in him that stirred my soul;
This "silent" friend that accepted my goals.
His soft, low "growl" when he wanted "out",
And the extra nudging with his snout!

He was "Dasher" and "Dancer" all rolled into one!
Our walks on the beach; the chases, the fun!
Brushing his "coat" until it just glistened!
He'd stand there and love it and listen and listen!

He's walking ahead of me now, on the trail;
Shaking his collar and wagging his tail
Checking to see if I'm close with the "truck"
Knowing "his" presence assures me of "luck"!

We love you, Bear, and hope you are happy. We miss you and can't wait to see you again!