Most of you were unaware that as Bear wrote his Facebook page and his blog, he was suffering from severe heart disease. It was diagnosed not much before that fateful day in April when he happened upon the pack of pit bulls. And while he healed from his attack his heart, unfortunately, continued quickly down the reverse path of deterioration. We chose not make it public because we wanted his page and this subsequent blog to be happy, fun, and upbeat, not sad. We wished to dwell on the good things, not the bad. So when he finally told me the time was drawing near, we decided to write this. This is not for your dog as much as it is for you. We wrote this together in hopes that he will be remembered not by what he had, but by what he gave—to me and to you.
First off to my mom: Mom, it kills me to watch you cry. Please do not cry over me. It is a fact of life that I have to leave. No it’s not fair, but we’ve had that discussion before. Life is not fair. But I have long ago accepted it and I want you to, as well. Please know that I have and will always love you and I will always be there in your heart and in spirit. I couldn’t have asked for a better home and a better life. I only hope this knowledge will eventually replace the agony that occupies your heart now. I consider myself to be one of the luckiest dogs that lived. Thank you for giving me all I could ever want.
As for my worldly possessions:
I have very few material possessions and, really, since Sophie joined us, they became hers, too. So I give my toys to her and hope she will play with them and enjoy them as much as I did. I have told mom not to bury me with the Turkey or the Meercat. I will have plenty of toys at the Rainbow Bridge. Let others who follow me play with them so that they bring both of you much enjoyment.
The remainder of my considerable wealth I give to you, my friends from life. These are the possessions that made me the richest and the happiest and I want you all to have them now:
To my friends that are sad I give you my Joy. Life is too short not to be happy. Joy at a cool autumn day rolling in the leaves. Joy at lunging at a wave and trying to catch it in your mouth. Joy at the anticipation of a good dinner and eating it! Joy at green beans ripening on the vine and being able to sneak one. Joy at eating wild raspberries off the vine. Joy at a good roll in the snow. These are the simple pleasures that give joy and life is nothing if it is not happy and joyful. If you cannot smile, if you do not fill your heart with joy, if you fail to enjoy the simple things, instead filling your time with futile pursuit of material wealth, then, in the end, you will have nothing.
To my friends that are anxious, I give you my Peace. Peace of mind and peace of heart. I give you the ability to let go of the bad and hold on to all that is good. Do not dwell on that which you cannot control. Calm your heart and calm your mind.
To those who are afraid, I give you my Courage. Courage to go on when you face adversity. Courage to understand that what is right might not be the easiest. Courage to stand up to those who hurt you. Courage to accept the good and the bad. Courage to hurt. Courage to love.
To those weak of heart or fragile of spirit, I give you my Strength. Strength to heal and strength to accept you might not. Strength to press on through pain and hardship. Strength to do what is right and resist doing what is not. Strength to go on living. Strength to let go.
To my friends who are troubled, I give you my Acceptance. To accept you don’t always understand. To welcome change and newness as if it were a special treat. To accept others into your life. To accept what life deals you. To accept defeat. To accept yourself.
To those that are angry, I give you my Grace. Kindness. Dignity. Mercy. Moral Strength. All living things deserve grace. To have grace when you, yourself, are not at your best.
To those who have been wronged, I give you my Forgiveness. To err human, to forgive, canine. I give you forgiveness so that you can forgive others who have hurt you. And so you can forgive yourself. Life is far too short to carry the burden of anger and revenge in your heart. It leaves no room for the greatest gift of all.
And that greatest gift I give to you is my Unconditional Love. It is the product of all of the riches for if you have joy, forgiveness, courage, acceptance, grace and strength, you will have unconditional love. Give it. Receive it. It is the most powerful and precious gift in life. Love, like your dog loves you.
Finally, I ask that you watch over my mom. She always thought that I was a pushover; that I would not be the protector Dakota was. But that was so untrue. I just let her think that so that she would become stronger on her own. I was always ready to jump in should someone threaten her or us, but I wanted her to build her own courage and not rely on me. And although she succeeded, I still worry about her. So if you would, please keep an eye on her and make sure that Sophie has taken the responsibility. I think Sophie will—I trained her well—but as my momma’s protector, well, I worry.
I was one of the lucky ones. I had a more than an above average life. I had two good homes and I never had to suffer. I had a mom and dad that didn’t ask much of me, but gave me much in return. I was encouraged to play but wasn’t expected to perform. I was asked to help but wasn’t punished if I failed. I was always loved and realized early on that discipline was meant for my safety and health and nothing else. My time here was shorter than I had hoped, but it was a full life and I have no sadness or regrets. I was able to die with dignity. And I was with my mom to my last breath. I could not ask for more.
So thank you my friends. For being my friend and for allowing me to entertain you. Mom helped heal me. You helped heal my mom. I only hope I helped you. Dogspeed and I look forward to meeting you all at “the bridge”. *AWWOOO*
Postscript: While Bear’s spirit will always be in our hearts, HIS heart will be teaching future generations of veterinarians. His heart is at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical School so that other dogs might benefit from what their doctors learn.
