Our best girl took her last breath

Our best girl took her last breath on the darkest day of the year.

But even though she is no longer walking beside us, sassy barking for snuggles or pawing me back to reality, she is not gone.

No.

Dr. Waffle will never be gone.

She is the beat of my heart,

the breath in my chest,

and most of all,

yes, most of all,

Waffle is the fight for love and belonging for all of us no matter the odds, heartbreak and hardship stacked against us.

I will spend the rest of my life fighting that good fight that she began as I honor the wisdom she taught me so beautifully:

Life is a both.

It’s street bagels and fugue states.

It’s mountaintops and icu stays.

It’s dreams come true and nightmares come alive

It’s the love of a life-saving dog and the life you must live after she is no longer breathing.

Yes, life is a both and it’s actually not about changing that.

It’s not about changing that at all.

It’s about being brave enough to do it together.

Yes,

It’s about being brave enough to open yourself up fully and love through it all even and especially when it hurts like hell.

~

Thank you for being brave enough to do it with us and love us through it all, especially when it hurt like hell.

~

I am not okay, but I will be — because my girl taught me how.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as I weather this.

I will be back soon.

Kindly,

Kate

💜