Goodbye TeddyBear

TeddyBear Kenyon

June 10, 1998 - December 15, 2008

Nine and a half years old.  Not a very long life.  But Teddy lived it to the fullest.   He played up to the end.  He loved his toys, he loved to "blitz"-as all Bichons do.  He was never really sick until that last week & weekend.  He had diabetes, and was starting to have several other organs fail.  We just couldn't see medicating him so he could live...that would be living for us, not for him.  Teddy got in trouble sometimes.  He'd wander away from home.  He nipped me more than once.  I wasn't "his boss" my husband, Dave was.  He was Dave's pal, the closest dog Dave ever had, and we have had several. Teddy knew he didn't have to mind me. But when Dave was gone, he became "my dog, my boy" within hours.  Funny how dogs do that.  He'd lie on my feet when I sat here typing at my computer.  He loved to cuddle. He cuddled more with Dave than me, but he did love it if I took an afternoon nap--then he always put his head on my legs and curled up into them.  He had a gorgeous thick white coat.  It was so thick we couldn't even comb it.  He didn't care for kids as my next door neighbors day-care kids had teased him all his life.  He sat in Dave's lap when Dave was home at night.  They were truly the best of pals.  Dave always called him, Pal, too.  We still have Kaycee, our Maltese who turned 8 on Dec. 23, 2008.  She missed Teddy horribly that first week especially and laid on the couch depressed.  She had no sparkle in her eyes.  Dave was with him when he was put to sleep.  I didn't know he was going to go in, but I should have, Dave would never have let Teddy go through that alone.  But I could have driven the car home.  Dave was not in shape to do that.  Dave told me later, he hadn't cried that hard since he lost his Mother when he was 12.  I took Teddy's kennel and his things and threw them on the heap of stuff in the basement we have of things that are going to the dump.  I didn't want Dave to come home and have to look at them.  But I forgot, all his toys were still up here.   Kaycee doesn't play with toys, sometimes Ted would get her to play tug, or blitz with him, but that's it. She is a quiet dog, she was the alpha dog over Ted, though. She started fights all the time over chews,and sometimes food.  You'd think she'd have known better, being 1/3 his size, but Ted always backed off usually without Dave even telling him too.  Ted could get into trouble, but you couldn't help but love him.  He was a demonstrative dog, an emotional dog, and we miss him so much that I can only now write about him and it's been 3 weeks.  We will never forget Teddy, he was a dog full of pep.  He loved to play, chase squirrels and rabbits, and birds and sometimes he caught them.  Oh TeddyBear, I hope you somehow knew how hard it was to let you go.  I know Jessi (Jessica Sue, his big sister, who was more my dog, who we had the first year or so we had Ted) met him at the Rainbow Bridge and welcomed him to be with her and play with her. Neither one of them have pain anymore.  This is good, but why then, does it have to hurt so darn much?  Teddy, Goodbye,my friend, and your Dad's best pal, and best friend.  Your life was brief but brought us much laughter and joy throught the 9 1/2 years we had the honor of having you in our home.  Rest in peace, boy.  A part of our hearts went with you.  Somehow we have gone on, but never ever are we the same.  I know you were a dog and some people don't understand the closeness we have with our animals, but fact is fact and we do!  We loved you, Teddy!

Mom (Merry), Dad, (Dave) & Kaycee Kay (your 8 year old sister,the "Wonder" Maltese.)