I’ve received emails and DM’s … how are you doing and I/we are thinking of you and Auggie.

Thank you so very much. I do not have the words to say how much those thoughts mean to me. Often there are a lot of condolences at the time but later … life goes on.

I shared nearly seven years of my life with Bear. Auggie shared most of his 4 1/2 years of life with Bear. Bear’s passing leaves a huge hole in both of our lives.

Still.

Auggie and I go forward. I work, I bake and cook, we go outside … snowshoeing and shoveling and just enjoying the outside.

Auggie still sticks close to me and whether it is the change in the house, the loss of Bear, the weather, the plethora of mice in the house … whatever, he is my good and sweet Auggie-boy and snuggle buddie!

As for me, I’ve progressed from the initial stages of shock (it does not matter if you know it was coming, the finality shocks), fear, relief (anticipation of having to make the decision …) and just an overwhelming feeling of loss … to a place of memory … sometimes laughing at something remembered, sometimes just feeling punched in the gut at the fact that he is not with us, sometimes just overwhelming love and gratitude for having shared some years.

Crap! It is hard.

But I do not regret one single moment.

And I cherish the memories: