10/22/2026
Well, my boy, it’s been just over a week since I last held you close, gently petting you as you took your final breath. 💔
A week since the world kept turning, even though a part of mine stood still.
Oh, Kipp, if only you could see just how many lives you touched. The heartfelt words, the beautiful memories, the stories people have shared about you. I always knew how special you were to me, but seeing just how much you meant to so many others has been one of the greatest comforts in losing you. You left little pieces of yourself in the hearts of more people than you could ever know.
The days are slowly beginning to feel a little less heavy. I’m finding myself smiling at your photos more often than crying, remembering the beautiful life we shared rather than only the heartbreak of having to say goodbye. I suppose that’s what healing looks like …learning to carry the love without letting the sadness consume it.
But it’s the little things, my boy. The quiet, ordinary moments that I never imagined would leave such an extraordinary emptiness.
I miss your grumpy little “not a morning dog” face as we got ready for work. I miss scooping that extra bowl of food, and the familiar comfort of simply knowing you were there. I miss the routines we built together without ever realizing that one day, they would become the things I longed for most.
But more than anything, I miss you.
Your love. Your companionship. Your steady presence through every version of life we walked through together. For thirteen and a half years, you were my constant in a world that never stopped changing.
I know that, with time, the tears will come a little less often and the smiles a little more. But I also know there will never be a day when I don’t wish you were still here.
Thank you for being you, Kipp. For every adventure, every lesson, every quiet moment, and every bit of love you gave so freely.
I hope you knew just how deeply you were loved. And I hope, wherever you are, you know just how deeply you are missed.
A lifetime with you would never have been long enough, but what a beautiful lifetime we had. 🤍🐾
