my story of yellow dog
By: goodbear
tags: animals, children, daily photo, dogs, grief, pet loss, pets, photo blog
Category: 365 photo, animals, daily photo, dogs, pets, photo blog
The plush dog arrived in a box directly from the store two days after Loki died. In the box next to it was a card from my best friend, Beth, in Phoenix: “I know it’s not the same thing as having Loki, but I figured you needed someone to hold on to.”
I grabbed the soft and squishy stuffed yellow lab and cried spastically. I curled up on the bed and squeezed the hell out of that thing until I got tired from sobbing.
The dog was sent from someone who understood how much I needed to hold and love and cry. Beth and I lived together when I adopted Loki. She was hit hard by her passing as well.
For the next couple weeks I held onto that dog as I fell asleep, but woke each morning with the stuffed puppy on the floor. I never named the dog. Soon after, I adopted Cody Bear.
It’s been 5 years since Loki died and the nameless stuffed puppy arrived to ease my sorrow. It’s just been lying around. I thought about donating it to a shelter for pet first aid classes and I offered its services to dog trainers to model harnesses. I couldn’t throw it away, but my little house needed to lose some contents.
This weekend . . . . a yard sale. “How much?” April asked. She was helping me price things the night before.
I wasn’t sure I was ready to sell it. I figured, we won’t price it, and if someone asked I would decide then. One person asked. I said, “five” and she put him back down.
Fine, it probably wasn’t his time to leave.
A family of four arrived as I started to pack things up. I busied myself arranging my junk jewelry. The parents and the older daughter were all together, examining every item. The younger daughter had sat down and picked up the yellow lab stuffed animal and was holding it. She pet it, picked it up like a baby and looked closely at his eyes and nose then laid it back down on her lap for more petting. Every now and then she would hug it to her. Squish.
The parents and other daughter made their way to the car. The mom called the youngest who put the toy on the chair and gave it one last look then walked to the car.
As she was just about to get in I ran to them and handed her the puppy. She grabbed it. Snatched it, rather, and squeezed the hell out of it as she climbed into the back seat.
“¿Cuanto?” from the father.
“Gratis.”
A huge smile from the mom then they were gone.
It wasn’t time to sell yellow dog, but it was time to give him away.
Wow. I’m all choked up now. You made a little girl very happy today, and I’m sure little plush dog is going to get another era of serial hugging!
I’m choked up too. Beautiful story & you are a beautiful person.
another wonderful adoption story.
Anything you can recommend for these goosebumps?
Ok, that brought on the water works. Beautiful story. Your yellow dog will continue to bring warmth and comfort and love to others.
oh George, that is SO sweet.
You just needed to find the right relocation for him!
Seriously, I’m verklempt.
She probably needed yellow dog like you did. Thank you for sharing that story. I remember when my Bear died 9/9/01, 2 days before 9/11. I don’t think I could feel the sorrow for that day because of the grief I was feeling for Bear, or maybe I felt it more becuase of her. Regardless, losing that dog was heartwrenching. I had known her and felt close to her longer than anyone in my life other than my parents and sister. And most of them were gone by then too. I always feel like she was closer to me than any one, we went through more together than anyone. She is forever in my heart.
daisydog,
thanks so much for writing about your bear.
i totally get what you mean. something so irreplaceable about the dog of your heart’s love…