The house is quiet now. CiCi still greets me at the door with that gentle tail wag and her sweet, knowing eyes, but something is missing. The wild energy that once ricocheted from wall to wall is gone. Ever since Chooch passed, the pace of life slowed down. CiCi seems content to nap in the sun, follow me silently from room to room, and rest her head on my lap in the evenings. But oh, how I miss the chaos.
With both CiCi and Chooch together, it was nonstop entertainment. The way they would bicker like siblings over the same toy, even if ten others were scattered around. The surprise wrestling matches in the middle of the living room. The loud races down the hallway that always ended with someone sliding into a wall. They had such different personalities—Chooch, the goofy troublemaker with a bark louder than his body, and CiCi, the calm observer who eventually got pulled into his antics. It was a beautiful kind of madness. I never had to turn on the TV. I could just pour a cup of coffee, sit on the couch, and watch their show unfold in real life.
It’s funny how those moments that felt so hectic back then are now what I miss most. I used to complain about the mess, the noise, the chaos. Now I’d give anything to see Chooch steal CiCi’s toy just to get a rise out of her. To hear their paws tapping furiously across the floor. To feel that energy fill the house again.
CiCi is still here, and I cherish every second with her. But she feels it too, the shift. She’s calmer, yes—but sometimes she stares off into the space where Chooch used to be, and I know she misses him in her own quiet way. They were a team, a little chaotic duo that made our lives richer and fuller than I ever realized at the time.
So if you’re lucky enough to still have both your dogs today—hug them, play with them, laugh with them. Don’t take the barking, the zoomies, or even the torn-up shoes for granted. Those moments of chaos are the heartbeats of a home filled with love and life.
Because tomorrow can look very different. The energy might shift. The noise might fade. And all you’ll be left with are the memories of the beautiful chaos you once had.
I miss the mess. I miss the madness.
But most of all, I miss my Chooch.
