12 Dec Life of Bean
Dear Beanie Weanie,
Thank you for blessing me with 13 amazing years. You were my first baby, my best friend, and my first experience of true unconditional love. I miss you so much ….
Puppy Bean
Puppy Bean
It was 13 years ago that I remember picking out BEAN from the cute and fluffy white puppies. I picked BEAN because amongst the many puppies jumping and running around, Bean just sorta sat there looking at me with those eyes that later I would become oh so familiar with.
In those first few years of Bean’s life, she came with me EVERYWHERE. To the store, to eat, to walk, to play- heck, she would just ride in my car with me while I ran errands!
She slept in my bed, she shared my meals. I was that annoying pet owner who thought my pet WAS my child.
I have so many amazing memories of Bean..
The crazy wagging tail full of excitement when I would come home each day, the way she would greet the door every time someone rang the bell.
Her amazing trust and love in humankind. The way she would PRETEND to fetch the ball just to mess with other dogs, but then she would take the ball and run away with it and not let other dogs get it. I loved all of those labrador traits that BEAN executed so well.
And then I had a child- my daughter, Penelope…and Bean became a dog 🙂
Bean was a VERY loved dog but she moved from my bed to a dog bed, and learned to stay home without me more and more. Bean was fine, she had a friend named “Cali” (another lab that my ex-husband and I had gotten).
Bean was always my first baby but like many dog owners do when they have a child, the dog becomes more of well…a dog.
Bean didn’t care, though. She stayed loyal and amazing. She was always mellow, always there, and always greeted me with that wagging tail and doggy kisses. And those eyes- those soulful eyes that would stare at me- I knew that Bean knew she was loved. It was those SAME eyes that would later tell me that it was time to let her go.
Bean selfie
Beanie, you were sooo loved
What was incredible, was to watch how not only my DAUGHTER grew to love Bean, but how my now husband Brooks did as well! And SO DID YOU…
For those of you that follow my social media and have seen my workouts, you know that bean is in like 75% of them. I didn’t always ASK her to be in them, she just decided she wanted to be most of the time lol I love that so many of YOU would ASK “Where is Bean?!” if she was left out of a video.
Bean and FLOPS
As years went on, Bean became my now husband Brooks “first dog” too. Bean became his shadow and Brooks, for the first time, experienced what unconditional puppy love is.
He truly got to experience “man’s best friend” and Bean basically became ‘his’ dog, as she followed him literally EVERYWHERE!
They went running together, to the gym, dog beach, and even when Brooks would just go to the other room…Bean was never more than 3 steps behind.
But about 2 years ago, Bean started to really slow down. She was aging and had a lot of arthritis and hip problems. The stairs in our previous residence were REALLY bothering her, and I remember feeling so happy for her when we moved to a ranch-style house last year.
Bean’s last year with us would be filled with relaxing in the sun, not having to deal with any steps, and basically having plenty of outdoor space to just RELAX in.
Then a few months ago, we got Beanie a new brother, “Flops”. Flops was a puppy of about 16 weeks old, and definitely gave Bean a boost by making her feel younger again.
From day 1, they were great together. The ‘elder’ Bean, showing Flops the ropes…while not getting annoyed one bit at this new ‘ball of energy’ that just wanted to play all the time.
On Wednesday, December 7th, we said goodbye to Bean. It was peaceful with me, Penelope, and Brooks there with her. She locked those amazing eyes with Brooks while he held her head and petted her ears like she always LOVED. We all told her we loved her and stayed with her until the very end.
I miss her so much. I know she was “just a dog” but she was OUR dog and she was part of our family and she is and will always be my first baby girl.
Till next time Bean Sprout… We LOVE YOU!
-Natalie Jill
