Obie

Last Saturday, January 28th, we said goodbye to Obie. Obie was our first pet—we adopted him in 2009 around the time this photo was taken.

Obie was my best friend. He was with us when Kristen and I got married. He welcomed both of our children into our home. He was there when parents and grandparents passed away, when we moved away from our home, and when we faced obstacles we thought were too great to overcome.

There are so many things we will miss about him. Here’s a running list of some of the highlights (updated 2/3/24):

I’ll miss his warmth. He spent countless days in his later years sleeping on my lap while I sat through the day’s Zoom calls.

I’ll miss seeing him sunbathe on the backyard couch, head raised and eyes squinted as he leaned into the sunlight.

I’ll miss watching him take in the sights and smells on our daily walks in the summertime.

I’ll miss sneaking him cheese before dinner.

I’ll miss his irrational fear of windshield wipers.

I’ll miss his musky scent that signaled it was time for a bath.

I’ll miss the way he bounded around the house dragging himself across the carpet to get dry after a bath was finished.

I’ll miss the way he always seemed to know when someone needed love.