When I rolled over this morning to grab my phone and turn off my alarm, I just so happened to also glance at the date. This might not be earth-shattering news for anyone else reading this, but I hardly ever look at my calendar for the current date, especially that early in the morning. In fact, I spend a majority of my life completely oblivious as to what day of the week it is, let alone the actual date or time of the month. So when I saw “October 21” I immediately smiled, looked at Tezzie and said “It’s Spenny’s birthday today…our ole buddy.” I jumped out of bed with Spencer on my mind and Tezzie at my heels, naturally ready for breakfast (him, not me). I’ve spent the day reflecting back on photos and memories of my life with Spencer, and decided to write up a little blog entry and instagram post for my most favorite pup.
For those of you who don’t know, Spencer (aka Spenny Wenny, Spencer Eugene, Stewart, Beanie, Beaner Weiner, Spenny Boo Boo, et al) came in to my life by way of Ariele, my now ex-wife; she acquired him in 2007 via a cardboard box on the side of the road labeled “free puppies” and the rest, you could say, is history. When Ariele and I began dating in 2013, I had 3 cats of my own (Patch, Potter and Penelope) and we were all very content to continue living our dog-free life, that was, until we met Spenny. As a child, I experienced two very violent and traumatic incidents with dogs, so having an unknown canine enter my life gave me pause, or paws if you will.
I’ll never forget the first night he stayed at my house; I had convinced myself that he would terrorize my cats or eat them as I slept; as you can probably guess, he did neither. That following morning, much to my nervous system’s relief, he was asleep in the exact same spot in the bed where he had fallen asleep the night before; that was the first and last time I ever questioned his existence in my life and also knew I’d found my sleeping buddy. He was the most precious, loving and perfect pup and I was so fortunate to love him for ten wonderful years. While the end of his life was heartbreaking and challenging to endure, I am so grateful for all of the good times we shared. Over the years we traveled thousands of miles together – from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, to both Walt Disney World (several times) as well as Disneyland and dozens of cities and national parks in between. Even in our quiet moments spent at home whether on the couch, in my recliner or in bed, he was always by my side. Last year, when we sold the house, I couldn’t bring myself to throw away my old recliner that we shared countless hours in, attached at the hip, because his needle-like little hairs were still embedded in the seat cushion from where he always snuggled up next to me.
While Spencer filled with heart and days with happiness and laughter, he also quietly helped me overcome my darkest days that were wrapped in sadness and tears, that would eventually spiral into weeks, months and years. Spencer ultimately became my emotional support animal and I considered myself his emotional support human – we both needed each other, and we were more than content with the dynamics of our partnership. Spencer was always a considerate companion and sibling to all of my kitties over the years, along with his much older and elderly canine companion, Buddy. Spencer was not only a precious member of my immediate family, but he was loved and adored by the entire family – across generations both young and old. So while he’s no longer physically at my side, his memory is a blessing that I will carry with me wherever I go. Spencer’s presence in my life is such a special reminder that unconditional love does exist in this world, and even when you believe you’re not worthy of love, there is ALWAYS love PRESENT in your life. I am so thankful for being given the gift of loving Spenny during his little life, and I will go on loving him for the rest of mine. 🐶❤️
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