Full of Beans
We just brought home an eight-week-old chocolate lab named Beans. I am already so in love! She has a short silky coat, gorgeous blue eyes, and soft kissable ears. When we lost our old dog, Moose, two months ago, I couldn’t imagine bringing a new dog into the family so soon. But Moose’s leaving left a hole in our hearts and in Bear’s, our golden. Normally, I wouldn’t have been so quick to look for another dog, but then the universe intervened.
Right after Moose died, I was meeting with my “group of dead kids” moms— Robin, Stefanie, and Teri— as we regularly do, to catch up and lend support. Robin told me that the mom and dad to her two-year-old black lab, Gus, were due to have another litter. My ears perked up, and so did Stefanie’s. It wasn’t long before I had convinced Bill that 1) yes, we could bring home a new puppy; 2) chances are that we would outlive this dog; 3) Bear needed a companion; 4) it would bring more joy into our lives; and 5) I wanted one!
Bill said okay with the stipulation that the puppy be a black lab, reminiscent of his first dog, Jet. Our old black lab mix, Buddy, had also been the best dog in the world, so I could see adopting another one. Although, my concern was less about the color and more about how the puppy responded to us. The breeder agreed. When Bill, Ryan, Andrew and I met the litter four weeks ago, we came upon eight adorable pups: 4 yellow, 2 black, and 2 chocolate labs. How could we possibly choose? I knelt down to greet them and the first one to approach was a chocolate female who began kissing and biting my fingers. She was also the only puppy who nuzzled my neck and let me hold her for anytime. We returned two weeks later for another visit and confirmed that this chocolate girl was the one. In the meantime, Stefanie had chosen a yellow male, and my friend Barb picked the black female that had initially caught Bill’s eye. Three puppies would grow up knowing and playing with each other!
In addition to another close friend having one of Beans’s siblings, I was struck by how my bereaved friends had been instrumental in bringing dogs into our lives. At the time Robin adopted Gus, Teri orchestrated another puppy adoption for Stefanie from a family member. And now Stefanie wanted a companion for her two-year-old dog. Who knew that grief could literally be a breeding ground for new life?
Two weeks ago, I discovered a deeper connection among all these dogs. When Bill and I visited the puppies to make our final choice, the breeder shared a very personal story. She told us that she had lost a baby boy last year after a preterm birth, explaining why the dogs hadn’t had a litter in two years. That child was delivered four months early, just as Stefanie had prematurely delivered her baby girl Carey, whom she lost fourteen years ago. The other special thing about Beans and her siblings is that they were born on her baby boy’s original due date, May 2. When I told Stefanie what we learned, she was then able to share her story with the breeder, giving the woman time to talk about her devastating loss.
Serendipity, with a little bit of enchantment and good faith, brought Beans into our lives. Maybe our children in heaven played a part. However the magic occurred, these pups have brought a lot more joy into our lives and a lot less sleep!