This one is gonna hurt...

Buddy Love. That's what my mom called him. Our good boy that's been the glue of this house for roughly 16 years has left us this evening and it's heart breaking.

As the days pass we'll come to learn what it means to lose a caregiver. They say that caregivers often die first, leaving behind the ones they were watching over. He was a good look-out. Vigilant. He alerted me to all sorts of disturbances, like when my mom would rummage in the kitchen and hide food in strange places. He would wake me, hours before twilight, observant to my dad putting his shoes on and heading for the door. He was invariably in the middle of things. We joked that he was the "Fun Police" cause there was no such thing as sneaky if he was around.

We've spent the last three years following him around, enthralled just enough to make Buddy our purpose. He gave us something to do. He protected us from the stings we inevitably inflicted upon each other. He was a coat to cry into... A friend that was always there. Comfort.

Goodnight baby Bud. Sweet dreams...