Nature's Neighbor - "Song For Bella" (original song)

Mike from Nature’s Neighbor performs “Song For Bella” from their 2023 LP The Glass Album. This song is about my first pet. Her name was Bella and she was a pure bred German Shepherd. We bought her when I was 13 years old and she passed away when I was 25 after suffering from a hereditary disease that caused her to lose control of her hind legs. Before she fell ill, she was such a strong, energetic fun loving dog that loved running around the back yard, going for walks, jumping in to pools… basically all the things dogs love to do. She was also a kind of central force in my family. When I was a freshmen in high school and had yet to make any friends, I would often walk back to my house to eat lunch alone due to my house being very near the school. I would get home, make a peanut butter sandwich and then go sit on the porch where Bella’s bed was and talk to her about my day. After my parents split up in the early 2010s, Bella served as a comforting presence around my Mom’s house. Things were in upheaval and I know that my sister and Mom really felt better knowing Bella would be staying with them. I was attending college in Chicago when Bella started to get sick. Every time I would come home for a visit I noticed she was less and less able to run around and do the things she loved. Pure bred German Shepherds often suffer from a disease in their later years called degenerative myelopathy (DM or CDRM) which causes paralysis in their hind legs. It was hard to see her like that… unable to go for walks or climb stairs… In the end, my Mom ended up carrying her up and down the stairs if Bella wanted to go sleep near her bed at night. Through it all, I felt that Bella was staying strong for us, but eventually, when her hind legs had become completely paralyzed, the decision was made to let her go. My Mom arranged for the doctor to come to our house to put her to sleep. It was a hard decision for her to make, but clearly Bella was suffering every day and it was time to put an end to it. My mom told me the date and invited me to come say goodbye to Bella but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have it in me to go see her knowing that she would be put to sleep and I didn’t’t want to be there when the doctor knocked on the door. So I didn’t go, and I have regretted it ever since. This song is my tribute to her. You were the best Bella. Love and miss you. Enjoy it up there in dog heaven. ~ ► Apple Music:   / natures-neighbor   ► Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/73nzq... ► Bandcamp: https://naturesneighbor.bandcamp.com/ ► Instagram:   / naturesneighbor   ► Nature's Neighbor Webpage: https://www.naturesneighbormusic.com/ ► Record Label: https://www.pigeoninfirmaryrecords.com/