Precious

Sometimes, it's best to just sit back and pray for the things we're thankful for. And one of them is my dog.

Bear was lovingly adopted into our home in January 2008 by myself and my mom. We only told my father AFTER we brought Bear home, and considering we'd never had a pet larger than a lizard, it was a stretch. But the rest of the family (even the lizard) grew to love Bear for the little ball of adorable energy that he was.

Lately, though, things have not been going as well. Bear develops anxiety issues when the family is away, so last spring when we had him in doggy daycare, he stopped eating. He developed ulcers, and unbeknownst of us, he had 22 bladder stones up and down his urinary tract. I had to leave school and drive home to rescue him. This is going to sound dramatic, but for as long as I live, I will never forget the way Bear looked at me that day. He was in so much pain, and his body was shaking so badly that only his eyes were able to plead for help.

Luckily, help was there. After a massive surgery or two, Bear started to recover, only now, he's completely incontinent and has to wear a diaper 24/7 unless he's outside. Right now, he's sleeping on the couch next to me, blissfully unaware of how much he means to the whole family and how grateful we are that he's alive.

Bear, we love you. :)