It’s been 11 days since we said goodbye to Toby, our dog of 13 years. I thought I was prepared. I wasn’t.
For over a week, I let myself go under. I barely moved. I slept through the days. Even Yoga felt like too much. But here’s what I’ve learned: succumbing to Grief doesn’t mean giving up. It means giving in so the emotion can move through.
What hit me wasn’t just losing Toby. It was compound Grief. The accumulation of many quiet losses, heartbreaks, and hard moments behind the scenes. His passing opened the floodgates.
Grief doesn’t vanish when we ignore it. It burrows deeper. While we each grieve differently, facing it early helped me. Letting myself feel the full weight helped me return more gently to life.
I’m deeply thankful for everyone who has sent kind messages, and for the grace extended by sponsors and my agent, who pushed deadlines so I could catch my breath.
You don’t have to bounce back quickly. You just have to allow space for healing, whatever that looks like for you.
#petloss #griefawareness #Grief
