Boomer’s defining character was his playful spirit. As we got to know him we figured out that he “lived to play”. Whenever I came downstairs in the morning, or came home from work, or put my shoes on, or did anything to prepare to go outside, Boomer was ready. His eyes would sparkle, and he walked over to the door and wagged his tail, ready to go. He assumed that the reason we were all on this earth was to go play with him. Tennis ball was his number one activity, along with rope tug-of-war. He also liked to play wiffle ball and scoop up ground balls or shag fly balls. He would try and steal the soccer ball when you were out dribbling in the yard. He had a “Jolly Ball”, a big blue plastic ball with a handle on it. He liked to wrestle on the kitchen floor and would look for a loose piece of clothing that he could nip at and pull (like a pant leg, for example!).
His absolute favorite toy was anything that squeaked, especially if it was plastic. Once you squeaked it he would not give up until he had it in his mouth. He’d get slobber all over it and chew it until he found the piece that made it squeak. He also had a furry squirrel that squeaked. We had to hide that thing because he was so obsessed over it!
If you didn’t want to play with him, he would put his head in your lap until you did. If he walked by and saw you sitting on the couch with your legs crossed and foot sticking out, it meant to him that you were inviting him to play with your foot. He would smash his head into your foot and knock it around.
Whenever Katy was outside gardening, she could barely get anything done because he would drop a tennis ball at her side and bark at her until she threw it. He would bring it back before she could get anything done and bark at her again. Eventually she would just give up and give him what he wanted: a full-time fetch session, over and over again. She would sit on the front steps and throw the ball until he tired. Then she could get some work done (for maybe 5 minutes!)
His playful spirit is the attribute that makes me miss him so much. He was a presence in the house that was always fun-loving, always inviting, always hopeful. He never had an off-day. The emptiness we feel in the house is a testament to the fun that we had with him and his desire to fill every moment with good times. I especially notice this when I’m in the backyard.
This is why it’s so hard without him around the house anymore. He was always entertaining us and always asking to play and have fun. It was his ministry.
