BABY PRESLEY

sometimes i see him resting in his favorite corner of the room or looking down on me from the top of the stairs. i'll hear his nails tapping on the wood floors or letting out a loud, relaxing sigh as he sleeps beneath my desk. and then I feel completely weak, as i am reminded that this is just a memory, no longer a possibility. adjusting to this new life without him is what has been the most trialing. a new morning routine. no more daily walks. undoing what you have been doing for the past ten years.

one thing i know for sure is that gratitude equals happiness. so, even though i feel drenched in grief, i try to hold on to reasons to be grateful. i'm grateful that i was able to work from home and be with him every moment in his last days on earth. i'm grateful we were in a position to give him the constant medical attention he needed in order to gain the last three years of his life. i'm grateful he came into my life to be my pugbaby, as he has taught me patience, loyalty and unconditional love. i miss him so much it hurts, but i know i have to remain grateful because he loved us.

i appreciate all of your prayers and the response and support has been so overwhelming through this difficult time. you have no idea how much your kind words have helped us navigate through this. i struggle every day to find my footing to focus on moving forward and often find myself just pathetically sobbing here and there. i know that with time this will ease, so i wait and try to be patient. in recent conversations that i have had with a few close friends who have lost human family members, i tend to apologize and feel embarrassed that i am falling apart over a pet. my neighbor, who recently lost her husband, said to me (as they all do), "love is love. it's not a contest. he was family and it's all the same." and she's right. and that made it okay. and i'm grateful for that.

we love you forever, pres. we miss you every morning and every night. xo

(thank you for reading and thinking of my sweet boy.)