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New Year’s Day 2018
In memory of Flash: Part One
This is the first of a short series of essays I wrote over the course of six weeks following the death of our beloved basset mix Flash. I’d forgotten about these pieces, if I’m being honest. I was so raw with grief when I wrote them. But today I found them and felt compelled to share them, especially because Flashy’s 14 year adopt-a-versary was September 16th. They’re as emotional as anything I’ve ever written. I’ve been sitting here bawling since I started reading them again.
However, they’re very important to me. I suspect other pet parents who are still grieving the loss of their pets will relate to much of what I share in these stories. It may be hard reading, and believe me — I understand if you can’t bear it.
I miss this dog in my bones. Every single day. We have Yogi who I adore — and you’ll read about him in the last of these essays. After that maybe I’ll write more about what I’ve been feeling over the past two plus years and how desperately I needed to cry like this.
It’s New Year’s Day. I want to feel optimistic, cheerful, encouraged about a new year. The truth is, I rarely feel that on New Year’s. I grew up with a grandmother who hated New Year’s, for reasons I couldn’t understand as a child. She’d spend most of the day making everyone else unhappy.
