A Year Later-Remembering The Good Times!

There are some souls we come across in life that leave a lasting impression on who we are and how we live the rest of our lives.  In this case I am talking about the soul of a very special dog, HoneyBear.  A year ago today we had to tell her that we loved her so much and would see her again one day.

I have been thinking for the last couple weeks about how I wanted to write this post.  A part of me wants to tell you all that it is so hard living life without our best friend.  That I still have a hard time looking at old pictures and videos of her because it makes me miss her so much.  That I still sleep with her favorite blanket at night.  I could go on and on but I decided I want this to be a happy post. 🙂

Today I am remembering the happy times we had and the many adventures we took with her.  Like the time we took her to the Riverwalk and the Alamo in San Antonio.  Or the time we took her to Canyon Lake and she swam as a tripawd for the first time!  We couldn’t get her out of the water that day! One of my favorites is her floating the Frio River with us in our raft.  She loved it!  She could smell the rapids coming and smiled as we manauvered our way through them.  Just simple trips like eating at Grimaldi’s or taking her to Lowe’s where she rode on the lumbar cart were special.

Every Holiday was a big celebration!  One of her appointments was scheduled on St Patricks day so we got her a clover necklace that had blinking lights on it!  Everyone appreciated that! Her very first Oncology appointment we made her a shirt that said “Keep Calm and Hop Along!”  There was never a dull moment!  Oh and how could I forget?! One of my most cherished memories was celebrating HoneyBear’s 10th birthday in the San Antonio Animal Hospital as she was recovering from a chest infection.  I made her a special pumpkin doggy cake but we also got a cake for all the technicians that were helping take care of her.  They all came in the room and sang Happy Birthday to her!  It was a good day.  That year and a half was filled with laughter, love, hope and faith.  It was the time of our lives.  I will never forget these amazing memories and would relive it all again in a heartbeat.

There are people reading this right now that have a dog who is fighting cancer or are trying to make the right decision for their dog that has recently been diagnosed with cancer.  If you are one of these people the biggest advice I can give you is ALWAYS have hope!  Hope is what I believe gave us so much precious time with HoneyBear and such a positive outlook on life during that time.  I had hope everyday.  Hope that her lung metastasis would remain stable.  Hope that she would be eligible for a clinical trial.  Hope that Dr Wiley would call and say there is a cure.  Hope that her immune system would take over and kill the cancer.  I even had hope in her last days for a miracle.  So today one year after HoneyBear earned her angel wings I am honoring her by spreading her message of hope.  If you are reading this right now and are in a difficult place with your sick friend I encourage you to get positive and stay hopeful.

I will miss HoneyBear until the day I die.  It is hard to move on without her but I have to remind myself her spirit walks by our side everyday, her story cherished in our hearts, her pictures scattered across our walls, her chosen river rocks that now line our lemongrass garden, our backyard pool and deck that was made %100 for her.  She is everywhere around us and always will be. I thank God everyday for giving us the gift of HoneyBear and that unforgettable time with her.  So today is a celebration! A celebration of love, a celebration of hope, a celebration of coming together, a celebration of faith and mostly a celebration of the inspiring life of our best friend.  We love you HoneyBear and can’t wait to see you again one day.