Tucker's Landing

"Be the person your dog thinks you are." ~ unknown

I got Tucker with my roommate almost 16 years ago. Tim and I were dating and I was living with two girls in a house. Tucker was not the most obedient dog and constantly had problems with separation anxiety and feeling confined, but he was loyal and loving. He was playful and snuggly. He stood by me through the "single dating life".  He was there with us through graduating college, getting engaged/married, buying our first house, moving as many times as we did, being pregnant and having babies.  He taught Cameron what it means to be a dog.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~ Roger Caras

Tim's favorite Tucker story to share is that I got the wrong dog. Long story short: Tim and I went to the Humane Society and picked out a dog. The next day my roomie and I went to go pick him up. We brought him home and when Tim came over the next day, he swore it wasn't the same dog. To this day, he believes that it was a yellow lab that we picked. Regardless of what dog we picked together, the Tucker dog that we brought home was the dog that was meant for us.

My favorite tid-bits about Tucker:  When we made pancakes, Tim always made a small one for him. Tucker would take it and hide it for later. If Tucker was invited to come up on the bed, he wanted to get under the covers and snuggle.  No matter which house we were living in, Tucker always found a spot. You could usually tell his spot because it was the one obvious, warn, brown spot on the carpet.  In each of our homes, we began to call this, "Tucker's Landing". We even joked about how it would be the best name for a bar when we retire.

Tucker had a stroke on Friday night as the kids and I were finishing dinner. I wasn't sure what was happening, but knew that it wasn't pretty. The boys were nervous because, well, because I was nervous. Tim rushed home and Tucker welcomed him with tail wagging as if nothing had happened.  Saturday morning after I let Tucker out, Cameron and I were just turning on some cartoons when I heard Tucker in the garage. He was having another stroke. After that one he was hurting, and it was obvious. It was time to say goodbye.

Tucker & Cameron - 2012

Tucker & Payton - 2015

Sixteen years is a long time. I like to think that Tucker and I grew up with each other.  Tim and I laughed a bit on Saturday night as we stayed up late remembering him. We got messages and notes from old friends about how much they had loved Tucker. He was one of our group, part of our family and will be so missed. We were very sad to say goodbye, and our house is not the same without him. Tucker's Landing feels very empty, to say the least.  However, sixteen years is a long time - he was with us longer than some of our friends marriages lasted.  I am truly grateful that it was fast and that we were able to minimize the pain as much as possible. 

Tucker, thank you for all that you were, even when we sometimes grumbled your name. We will miss your patience, your easy demeanor and your welcoming wag. Give Leeya a hug for me. 

Here's to you Tucker, we love you!