It is with a heavy heart that I share my sweet Dutch cousin, Bear, has crossed Rainbow Bridge just two months shy of his 18th birthday.  Although I never met Bear nose to nose because he lived in The Netherlands, I considered him to be a dear friend, who was only an email away.  Bear and I would chat frequently sharing our thoughts on life, and he was always ready to give sage advice to his American cousins.  Which I will admit came in handy once or twice, especially when Asa was a puppy.  Bear also had his own burdens to bear, and we would console each other.  Just like I have to endure humiliating Halloween costumes, every Christmas Bear had to put up with his Mom’s insistence on using a plaid ribbon to get his fur out of his eyes.  Although I did tease him about it, he always looked very handsome.  Also we both shared a dislike for fireworks, and every New Year’s Eve he would email me from under his parents’ bed with updates on the chaos, while I tried to comfort him from afar.  Bear would return the favor for me every 4th of July.

My Mom and Dad had the honor of meeting him in person when they visited Bear’s family in Holland a few years ago.  It didn’t take long for them to realize that Bear was quite a celebrity in his town.  Everywhere he went people would stop to greet him.  However, Bear didn’t pause long to chat.  After all, he was usually headed to his favorite place, the fish market.  Bear loved herring and smoked salmon, and was a very loyal customer.  Once that errand was complete, Bear took great delight in taking my Mom and Dad for a walk to show them his historic town.

Bear wasn’t always a gracious host though.  One holiday Bear decided to sample the turkey as it cooled on the table in the garden.  Oh boy was his Mom mad at him that day!  But now it is one of her favorite stories to share.  As Bear got older, he became more adept at sneaking treats.  Once when his Dad was preparing for guests he put out a plate of crackers with a piece of smoked salmon on each.  Yet when he returned to the room a few moments later all the salmon was gone!  At first Bear’s Dad thought he had forgotten to put the salmon on the crackers.  So back to the kitchen he went, only to realize that wasn’t the case.  Somehow Bear managed to not only get on top of the table, he delicately ate the salmon without disturbing the crackers on the plate!  I really wish Bear shared with me how he accomplished that trick.

Now don’t get me wrong, Bear was also very generous with his food.  For you see, his best friend was a cat named, Siep.  Siep lived next door, but would spend almost as much time at Bear’s house as he did his own.  Every day Siep would wander over and enjoy a second breakfast with Bear, often leaving a bit of food in his bowl for him.  Then in the evening, Siep and Bear would enjoy dinner together.  They weren’t always the best of friends though.  Their relationship had a bit of a rocky start with Siep trespassing over Bear’s garden wall.  In typical cat fashion, Siep took great delight in taunting Bear, who just wanted to be his friend.  In their younger days, Siep liked to sit just out of Bear’s reach, and then would jump onto the garden wall when Bear tried to get close.  Well poor Bear had all that fur in his eyes, and couldn’t always see where Siep disappeared.  Siep would use that as an opportunity to jump from the wall, to the table, and sneak up behind Bear!  Oh boy did that annoy Bear!  But as the years passed they became the best of friends, and were often referred to as the lovable Muppets curmudgeons, Statler and Waldorf.  Sadly Siep passed away earlier this year on March 29, 2017, at the age of 18 years old.  However, I take comfort knowing that Siep was there to greet Bear when he crossed Rainbow Bridge.  I’m sure Bear’s big brother, Max was also there to welcome him.

Just like us, Bear was well traveled, even visiting the Alps in Austria in his youth!  However, Bear was not impressed by Austria, because he was a homebody at heart.  He liked nothing more than to spend his days in a sunny spot in the kitchen looking out at his garden, or sneaking into the library to curl up by the fireplace on cold winter days.  In the evening, nothing brought Bear greater happiness than enjoying a bowl of popcorn with his parents, while watching a detective show on TV.  Bear always figured out who the suspect was long before his Mom and Dad, so would happily drift off to sleep while they sat baffled waiting for the big reveal.

Bear passed away on October 19, 2017, quietly going to sleep in his favorite spot, nestled in his basket in the kitchen next to the Aga.  Bear will be dearly missed by his loving family and many friends.  We were truly blessed to have him in our lives these 17 years!  I like to think that Bear and Siep are now spending their days over Rainbow Bridge in a beautiful garden, enjoying a bowl of smoked salmon together.

Bear celebrating his birthday with his friends at the veterinary office, Dierenkliniek Parkweg. Thank you for taking such good care of my cousin, especially in his final year!

Bear and Siep patiently waiting for dinner to be served.

Bear and Siep, aka Statler and Waldorf, teaching us that everyone can be friends, even a dog and a cat!

This is not a photo of the infamous turkey tasting, but I certainly think Bear deserved a taste that day too for wearing that plaid ribbon!

Just like us, Bear understood the importance of neighborhood patrol, no matter the weather. And in his youth was known to discipline the neighborhood dogs who walked past his home.

Thank you Bear for being an awesome cousin. We’ll meet again at the end of the trail, my friend.