Teddie came into my life one month before my 25th birthday. It was a little over a year since I had driven my first fur-baby, Zoe, a German Shepherd, from NY to live with my parents in NC. My ex-boyfriend and I had brought Zoe home as a puppy to the house we shared, but when we split up 2.5 years later, I moved into an apartment with Zoe. Zoe was still a rambunctious young lady and sitting in an apartment while I worked 10-hour days was not a fair life for her. My parents had the yard for her to run in and my brother was still a teenager who played with her for hours at a time. Losing her in my daily life broke my heart, but she was ultimately, a much happier dog for it.

When my life settled down a bit, I decided that a Yorkie would be much better suited for my lifestyle- Ted was very happy living in an apartment and going on our daily walks. He travelled with me and my new boyfriend (my now husband), was working from home out of our apartment, so he almost always had company. At the time I didn't know it yet, but we would later relocate to NC as well, and Ted and Zoe would become great pals!

Right from the start one of things that amazed me about him was how open he was to the world. He befriended my sister's cat. He loved my stepchildren. He loved Zoe once they met. My mom was the first to observe that I never had to worry about the day when I had a baby of my own, or if I adopted another dog, or what changes may come because if I loved someone, Ted immediately accepted and loved them too.

That sentiment would prove true once again when we adopted Stella, a husky-lab mix puppy, in May of 2019.

Zoe lived a full life for a German Shepherd and I'm happy that I was able to spend a great of time with her and Ted together in the later years of her life. Zoe passed away in January of 2019 and our entire family was heartbroken. My parents were a bit lost without her in the house, but luckily with my travel schedule for work, Ted was able to stay with them and help their hearts to heal.

We knew that even though he and Zoe did not live together, he was missing the canine companionship in his life, so we decided to adopt Stella in May of 2018. She and Ted became fast friends. He taught her the routine and even though she quickly grew to be much larger than him, he was always the boss. He would give her kisses and cuddle up to her to sleep. They shared beds and toys and were never territorial over anything- other than who got to sit on my lap in the car! They would play together in the yard. Even though Stella's favorite game was tug of war and "tag" and Ted's was catch, they invented a combination of the three that seemed to work out just fine for them.

Even though he was now 9 years old about to turn 10, Ted once again had the energy of a puppy. In October of 2020, we did a 4-mile hike with Stella and Ted. Ted did not have to go into his backpack carrier until the very final walk to the car. We took 2-3 walks per day and he was always the first one at the door waiting to put his harness on. We expected that we had much more time with him as he appeared to be just as exuberant as ever right up until the moment he passed.

Ted wasn't afraid of much. If I was that small, I think I'd have been afraid of everything. My Dad nicknamed Ted "Tough Guy" the first time he met him, and that rang true for the rest of Ted's life. He chased squirrels out of our yard- and would patrol the perimeter like the little warden. Just this past Thanksgiving, we travelled to visit my brother in Miami, and the first thing he did when we arrived, was run into the in-ground swimming pool. He didn't love the water, but he was overall unphased by his error in judgement. He swam to the side, waited for someone to lift him out, and proceeded to continue running out, sniffing and checking out the backyard. He played it off like that was exactly what he meant to do!

When I think about it, for an 8 lb. Yorkie, Ted experienced so much. He has traveled up and down the entire East Coast. He swam in the ocean, flew first class, was sprayed by skunks (3) different times in his life (I think the 3rd time was the charm), chased deer through the woods, spent days out on our boat, and had dinner at numerous restaurants. Through all of his many experiences, I honestly think that all he really cared about was being with us- the people that he loved.

Which is why I guess it was fitting that when his time to pass came, it was on Christmas Eve. We were home with Ted and Stella and my family (My Mom & Dad, brother, and sister) were all over. We had spent the day playing games, cuddling with them on the couch, having snacks (which the dogs did sneak a few bites of- especially the cheese- one of their favorite treats!). He was surrounded by everyone he loved most in the world. He was so happy that evening.

Not only is that how I want to remember him- happy and surrounded by love- but that is the gift and the lesson that he gave to me. Life can get so crazy and it is easy to get bogged down in the details and the daily stressors, but in the end, all that really matters is that I am surrounded by the people and animals who I love- and who love me.

Teddie-Bear: I miss you every day. If my love could have saved you, you would have lived forever, but I know you are with Zoe now. Until I see you again, I just wanted to say Thank You, for all of the love, light, and laughter you brought into my life... And Thank You for being my Best Friend, my therapist, and my teacher. I love you, little boy- forever and ever.

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3/15/21: Happy Birthday, Teddie Bear! We miss you! I think about you every day. I love you sooo much, little boy!

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12/16/21: I've been thinking about you a lot, Teddo-Freddo. Celebrating the holidays without you just feels so different. A lot has changed for us in the past year. We added Athena and Gronk to our furry family. You would love them both! In memory of you, we fostered/rescued 5 dogs this year:

Athena
Gronk
Sophie
Sarge (Kash)
Sebastian (Bash)

I truly miss you every day!