Webster

The things we do for our children with fur.

My sweet little Bichon, Chelsea, loved her stuffed toys.  She had them for years. She never chewed them, and she knew all of them by name.  I could tell her to go get her snake, and she would disappear into the den where her toy basket lived. She would be gone for just a minute or two, and when she returned, surely as light will come in the morning, she would be dragging her four foot stuffed snake behind her, tail a waggin’.  She had a stuffed Fred Flinstone, which she knew as Fred.  I’d ask for Fred, and Fred I would get.

Her favorite, amongst all of her treasures, was a stuffed yellow duck named Webster. She might have drug out a dozen different toys, and they all may have been in different areas of our living room, but always, always Webster was in the mix.

I said goodbye to Chelsea at the age of 14 ½ years.  She had survived Cushing’s Disease and Addison’s Disease, but liver cancer was stronger than she could fight.  I had her cremated, and I placed her ashes in an urn I had made in pottery class, especially for her. It only seemed right that when I placed her urn on my bedside table, that Webster would be placed right there beside her.

About 8 weeks after Chelsea’s death, I brought a 10 week old Bichon home with me. Gracie Lou moved in with about 120% gusto, 100% mischief, and a heart open to all the wonder and love of the world.  I was unaware, at the time, that she had been born visually impaired. She was as “normal” as any other puppy of mine, and what little “clumsiness” I witnessed, I attributed to just being an awkward little puppy.  When her visual impairment was diagnosed at 10 months of age, she and I started the crusade of “normal” for Gracie. With  very few exceptions, her disability is hardly noticed. She thrives, she plays, she loves, and she sees more with her heart than most of us see with our eyes.

To this end, I can’t say I was surprised when my then one-year-old, “blind” puppy came down the hall, in a full prance, carrying Webster.  Yes, somehow Gracie, filled with her mischief, had reached up to the bedside table, snared Webster, and was happily bringing him to me.  My heart stopped, and I said, “No, No!  You can’t have him.”  The look on her face would have broken my heart had it not already been breaking with the image of  Webster coming down the hall, but not Chelsea.  I tucked Webster away in my walk-in closet, and I brought Gracie a different toy. Within a few minutes, she was happily playing, and Webster had been forgotten.

Several months later, I heard Gracie running down the hall. And again, she had Webster with her. This time she had gone into the walk-in closet and found him.  I knew then that it was time to buy another Webster, especially for Gracie.  I gathered her in my arms and out the door we went to Feeder’s Supply.  Gracie loves to ride in the shopping cart, so down the aisles we went in pursuit of a duck.  We couldn’t find it, and when I asked the cashier, I was told they had discontinued that particular brand.  Are you kidding me?  No Webster!  Not giving up easily, we went on down the road to Pet Smart. But, again, no Webster.  I told Gracie I would try Amazon. When we got home, I logged into  Amazon.com and hit the search bar for “dog toy duck named Webster.”  There he was!  Several to choose from priced between $8.00 and $15.00.  I chose one that indicated it was new, for a cost of $11.00. The total with shipping was under $15.00.  Add To Cart!

About 3 days later, I came home from work and found the box sitting by my front door. I brought it in and told Gracie she had a surprise.  I opened one end of the box, and she dove in up to about her shoulders. She came out of that box with Webster, tail wagging, and jumping in place for several minutes.  She was so excited, and I was so touched it brought tears to my eyes.  She had her very own Webster, and to this day,  he is greatly loved.

Now comes the ironic part. Probably about 3 weeks later, I was in Kroger doing my grocery shopping.  I cut down the pet aisle and there right in front of me, on the bottom shelf, almost mocking me, were SIX Websters. Who Knew?

It doesn’t matter where he came from, or how he made it to our home.  The joy this little stuffed duck has brought to  now two of my beloved companions is truly heaven sent.  Nothing is too hard to accomplish for the ones you love.