Life has a funny way of surprising you in unexpected ways, both in the good times and the bad, while shaping your family, including our furry family members.
Gabrielle and Michael Szarek moved to New Town in St. Charles roughly 10 years ago. Their family of three at the time included a sassy toy fox terrier named Bon Jovi (Jovi for short), whom Gabrielle adopted in college. Michael and Jovi always had an interesting dynamic after a not-so-great first impression; Jovi attempted to use Michael as a toilet when they first met. Although the two did not always see eye to eye, Bon Jovi certainly added an unmatched sense of humor to their family dynamic over the years.
Shortly after the Szareks got married, they adopted Yogi, an English Golden Retriever. Yogi quickly became the loyal, calm leader of the house. He was always looking out for everyone and especially knew how to keep Jovi in line when he got a little more feisty than usual. Yogi and Jovi quickly became best buds, regardless of their 75-pound difference in size. Yogi was the protector, and Jovi was the comic relief.
Growing their family certainly took some unexpected turns in the earlier years. Any cloudy day Gabrielle and Michael experienced at the time, they could always count on Jovi and Yogi to be right by their side, with Jovi and Michael even becoming, dare we say, great friends.
A few years later, the Szarek family was beyond blessed to welcome two more additions to their family: identical twin boys, Ezekiel and Calvin. Jovi and Yogi took their babysitting duties quite seriously. To no surprise, Jovi took on the entertainer role and would keep the twins giggling. Yogi, being the protector he is, grew quite exhausted. He would only nap if the babies were napping and would be the first awake the moment he heard them in the morning.
Right before the twins' first Thanksgiving, Jovi got very sick. After countless visits to the vet and several tough days in the emergency animal hospital, the Szareks said goodbye to their beloved Bon Jovi. It was a difficult loss for all, but especially for Yogi, losing his best buddy. The days and months following were especially tough on Yogi, and his anxiety and worry quickly heightened daily.
A couple of years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael and Gabrielle discussed the possibility of getting another friend for Yogi. Since both of them were now working from home, they thought it would be a great opportunity to foster some puppies. It would be a chance for Yogi to have some furry companions while Gabrielle and Michael tested out the chaos level of an even busier home, while also finding forever-loving homes for these adorable little pups.
A new and happier side of Yogi quickly emerged. It was a no-brainer to recognize how much Yogi needed another buddy by his side. The two puppies were each welcomed into such wonderful homes and to this day are still tremendously loved by their adopted families.
Finding Yogi’s new pal didn’t take long. Just a few months later, the Szarek family added Arlow, also an English Golden Retriever, to their now family of six. To say Arlow is the perfect addition this family needed is an understatement. Arlow has that same goofy sense of humor like Jovi and is able to bring out that same joy and playfulness in Yogi. Arlow has an extraordinary way of providing comfort and support to anyone in the family at the exact moments they need it. He has brought such an immense amount of love and companionship to everyone in the family, bringing an indescribable sense of their family feeling whole again.
As Arlow grew, distinguishing between the two became increasingly difficult. Once fully grown, it was nearly impossible to tell Yogi and Arlow apart. Now, any family walk around the neighborhood sparks countless jokes about the family with two sets of identical twins.
As the Szarek family grows and changes through the ups and downs of life, their dogs have always been a constant by their side. More may not always be better in every scenario, but for their family, double has certainly brought the greatest blessings they could’ve ever dreamed of.