When Amanda heard of Bear, an abandoned, lost dog in the mountains of Evan’s Creek, she decided to act immediately.
Together with her friend Dylan, they set out to try to locate the lonely dog.
For over an hour, Amanda and Dylan tried to coax Bear using food and treats – but their plan failed.
The next day when they returned, they spotted Bear in the same area. They again tried to coax him to get closer so they could help him, but in vain.
That’s when the girls got, to say the least, a very creative idea.
They decided that Amanda would lay down and ‘play dead’, acting as if she were in need of help.
Said and done: The next day, Amanda lay down on the ground in the area they she suspected Bear was.
And what happened two hours later has filled thousands of animals friends’ hearts with warmth.
It all began when a driver spotted a dog at a campsite in Evans Creek, Washington State.
The dog looked both scared and malnourished. The dog got aggressive when the driver tried to approach him.
A few days later, a girl named Amanda got wind of the wild dog, known as Bear.
Before she passed away, Grandma asked me to clean the photo on her headstone a year after her death — when I finally did, I was amazed by what I discovered
This story is deeply moving—a beautiful portrayal of love, family, and the powerful choice that defines our bonds. Grandma Patty’s gentle yet profound way of teaching life’s lessons, through simple, magical moments like their sidewalk adventures or cookie-baking sessions, builds such a vivid picture of her warmth and wisdom. Her final message, hidden behind the headstone photo, feels like the ultimate act of love—a treasure hunt to pass down the legacy of chosen family and intentional love.
The reveal of the adoption adds layers to her love story with Hailey and Elizabeth, showing that family isn’t merely formed by blood but by a thousand moments of choosing each other. Grandma Patty’s line about real love never ending but simply changing shape resonates perfectly with the story’s theme, giving Hailey and her mother both a final gift of clarity and belonging.
The cardinal as a symbol of her spirit and presence is such a beautiful touch, too, tying together memory, loss, and a sense of Grandma’s lasting presence. And through it all, the rituals and phrases they continue in her memory underscore the depth of her influence, even after her passing. The piece overall is such a tender, profound exploration of legacy, grief, and love that goes beyond life itself.
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