My latest post for the Knoxville Moms shares our grief coping strategies. In the last year and a half, two of our dogs passed away. These were beloved pets that our children had always known; at 12- and 13-years-old, both dogs were older than our children. Their losses hit us deeply, yet while we were [...]
A single slice of bread made me cry today. It sounds crazy; I know. But for the last thirteen years, I've divided up the last slice of bread to give to the dogs. In March of 2020, I had to stop dividing it into thirds when our dog Nala passed away. That was the first [...]
The first holiday after losing a loved one is always difficult, whether that loved one is a family member, friend, or pet. We've always treasured our pets and thought of them as members of the family; they're an integral part of our daily lives, and our lives would be less without them. Back in March, [...]
Backstory: I grew up with a dog, two cats, and a verifiable zoo of other animals (birds, fish, a rabbit). But once I left for college and was no longer around the cats frequently, I developed an allergy. Flash forward 13 years, and my kid is cat-crazy. It would just make his life if he [...]
There is one fewer set of paw prints around our home this week. Our beloved twelve year old dog, Nala, was diagnosed with lymphoma and died last week. She was an incredible dog who loved us well and whom we dearly loved. She loved to cuddle, lay in the sunshine, bark at anything that dared [...]
In October while my Mom was visiting, I enlisted her help while trimming Charlie's toenails. His nails are always long and have always varied in color; some are white, others on the same foot are black. He's generally pretty good about getting his nails trimmed, but his trusting nature puts even more pressure on me [...]
Paw Prints in the Sink 