Til We Meet Again, Teddy...

Teddy.

"What an adorable name I gave you, for such a charming little being who looks exactly like a miniature teddy bear." are the exact thoughts that lovingly infiltrate my mind as your little beady-eyes stare at me. It's been four years since we started our relationship and being with you has transformed my life in so many ways. Do you remember the first day I brought you home? I giggle just reminiscing on how tiny you were. You were such a character and a smart one too. I recall wondering "How in the world does this 4-month-old Maltese know how to potty on a puppy pad like that without training?!". Wow, how lucky am I to have you! You reminded me so much of myself from my childhood. Exceptionally loving and just beyond smart, out of nowhere, and so young to be it. I genuinely believe that's why you and I connected so much. You just get me.

You are truly the definition of "A Man's Best Friend". My Best Friend. No one could tell us otherwise, especially YOU. You would never let me go anywhere by myself. Always looking out for me and waiting for me to leave the bathroom. No, literally! Every day that I would be getting ready in the bathroom or just moving throughout our home, teddy would get so excited and follow me like he knew where exactly I would be heading, telling me with those little beady-eyes again, "Go on ahead, I'll wait for you". And he always did wait for me. He waited at the door for me to go first or to come out every time we were going anywhere together. He was such a doggy gentleman. He waited patiently for me to come home, and it was always this immense joy between us upon my arrival. So much joy in fact, that Teddy would sometimes even get the zoomies before finally deciding he's just going to bark at me until I give him his hug.

Oh, Teddy how I miss you dearly...

You were as energetic as can be. No matter how hard life knocked me down, you were always there to comfort me. And although we didn't always see eye to eye, I understood that you were just being you and in all actuality I loved it. From our daily night searches when you would wander off after your potty breaks to playing dress-up with you every season. Even our special nights of binge-watching Netflix and feeding you, your favorite food... Popcorn, made me forget about all the times you poo-pooed on my bed because it looked like a puppy-pad to you. Gosh, I miss you, Teddy-Bop.

I will be missing you for eternity now. No one seems to notice the hole left inside my very being by your absence. Although it has been 11 days since you've been gone, it still feels like yesterday to me. I still wake up some mornings and cry... because that's all I can do to get over, YOU. I walk through the empty, shallow, eggshell white halls of our home and I swear for just a glimpse I can see you running around, I can hear you getting up and shaking yourself awake. I have to catch myself from not calling your name aloud because my subconscious mind still believes you are indeed, here. I even dreamed of you returning to me, only to see that somehow you had forgotten me. I am trying so hard to grasps in my mind, that one day we will meet again.

For you, Teddy this is my greatest gift. Sharing your light because you deserve it.