My husband gave me my baby, Frodo Baggins, shortly after I graduated with my Master’s degree. His personality, playfulness, and loyalty were as bright as the stars. He followed me everywhere – and danced uncontrollably when I came home. It seemed as though the time we spent apart was too much for him. He had a special howl for my husband when he came home from work.
Frodo taught me to give everything that I had of myself just to balance the love that he showered upon me. I gave this love to him, with a slight fear of the day (10-12 years down the road) when he would die of old age – but willing to attempt to match the unconditional love that
he gave to us freely.
Then, out of nowhere, the time came for him to leave us. Frodo was hit and killed by a car – 5 months before his second birthday. I didn’t expect it and we experienced pain and sorrow beyond our imagination.
On this same night, my husband and I were speaking of divorce. Ironically, we had both reached a point where we were afraid to open up to each other and love one another unconditionally and freely. During the chaos, we didn’t notice that Frodo had gotten out of the house. Eventually, my husband and I decided that divorce will never be an option for us and promised to love each other openly and without fear. We noticed that Frodo was not in the house and went to look for him.
I found Frodo’s body, cold, at the very end of our street….an area that he had NEVER ventured to before. You see, it had been almost an hour since my husband and I made that promise to each other – almost an hour since Frodo had been hit by a car.
I believe that Frodo’s purpose was to teach me that loving unconditionally is not a scary thing…I also know, with all my heart, that we were blessed with his presence for as long as we needed him – until we learned the lesson God sent with him.
Thanks, Frodo, for showing me unconditional love, thanks for teaching me that all we have is today, and that we should allow ourselves to ‘dance’ whenever we are reconnected with someone we love. I can’t wait to see you dance for mommy again….