Loving Memories of Bella, Our Beloved Pit Bull-Boxer Mix

by Sara Elizabeth Love
(Florence, Kentucky)

Bella, oh dear sweet Bella...I know it's been about 9-10 years since you died, but the silence and the pain still linger.

Rebekah remembers you. You always protected her and me. Also, I'm turning 13 years old tomorrow. Isn't that exciting?

I remember how when I was a toddler, I would always raid the fridge, trying to feed you stuff, but my mother would always tell me "SARA, DON'T GIVE HER THAT!!!" I remember one time I had given you grapes.

But you didn't eat them. You just tossed them up into the air and played with them like they were some sort of squeaky toys.

It was funny. The day after that, my mother stepped on a wrinkled grape, and it got mushed in-between her toes. It was pretty funny.

You were a very protective watch-dog, and you hated mailmen. One time, the mailman had gone up to our front porch to put the mail in our mailbox, and you came running at the screen-door and headbutted it, barking like crazy.

It was so hilarious. The mailman screamed and fell over down the stairs.

You were a stray. My mother had gone out about 20 something years ago with her friend, Patty, and her newborn daughter. It was early to mid-fall. You were just running around, and mother picked you up because she was afraid that you would get run over by a car.

Your previous owners had abandoned you, you had ran away while they were moving, and they tried to look for you everywhere. They never found you, and they had to move.

The neighbors had fed you and petted you, so you were okay.

Mother took you to the veterinarian, and the veterinarian said that you were very young, about a year or so old, an adolescent.

After Scotty died, nana said that she didn't want another dog. But nobody could ever resist Bella, not even my nana.

You were always so afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks. Every time it was the fourth of July, or when there was a thunderstorm outside, you would run into the bathroom, and hide in the bathtub.

I remember I would always run around, calling your name, and then I would find you just curled up into a ball in the bathtub, shivering, and just staring at me like a deer in headlights. And then I would just walk over to you and pet you, and you would keep on licking my face.

It was funny. Your mouth was curled up so it looked like you were always snarling.

I remember it clearly when nana said "She's so ugly that she's cute."

You were 14 years old when you died. It was so difficult for everyone to go through.

But we know we had to do the most selfless thing, and put you to sleep, so that you wouldn't be suffering anymore.

Nana got to visit you a few years ago. I'm so jealous, you got to see her. I loved you both so much.

I hope that I can see you all very soon.

But I know that I can't rush it. I have to enjoy my life while it still lasts.

XOXOXO

Sara Elizabeth Love, February 26th, 2021