I often forget that he’s not here. Sometimes I still catch myself looking down before I get up from the couch, just to make sure I don’t accidentally bump him. I pause before opening the door, expecting to see his face peeking through the crack, his eyes full of love and curiosity. My routine still holds echoes of him—his quiet footsteps, the jingle of his collar, the soft sigh he’d let out before curling up next to me. After nearly nine years together, it’s like he became part of the air in this house, and now that he’s gone, everything feels a little too quiet.
Grief is strange. It doesn’t always hit like a storm. Sometimes, it’s just a subtle ache, like reaching out for something that’s no longer there. And yet, even in that ache, there’s comfort—because it means he was real. He was here. He mattered. My Chooch was more than just a dog; he was my best friend, my shadow, the one soul who never judged me and always made the worst days a little bit better just by being there.
Some days are harder than others. The world keeps spinning, and people move on, but for me, time has slowed down a bit. His favorite spot by the window is still untouched. His toys are still where he last left them. I just can’t bring myself to move them. Maybe I’m not ready. Or maybe I just need those reminders right now.
To everyone who’s taken a moment to read my words, to listen to me, to simply be there—I truly want to say thank you. You may not realize it, but your kindness, your comments, your support, have all meant more to me than you’ll ever know. Grief can be so isolating, but this community has helped remind me that I’m not alone. That love, even when it hurts, connects us in the most human way possible.
I don’t know when this pain will soften. Maybe it never fully will. Maybe it just becomes something I learn to carry differently. But I do know that every tear is a reflection of the love I had—and still have—for Chooch. And I wouldn’t trade that love for anything.
So again, thank you. For letting me share. For not rushing me through this. For being a shoulder when I needed one most. I just really, really miss my best friend. And I think I always will.
