Oli passed away in June 2021 at nearly 17 years old. We joke that she was our first baby because we had her before our children.
In many ways, she trained us in how to be parents. How to attune to her needs, understand her, even though she couldn’t talk to us. I would worry about her while I was away at work, and reticent to go out after work, because she had been home alone for most of the day.
I’ll miss her hitting my legs if I haven’t given her breakfast, the feeling of having another presence in the house when it is just me and the kids, the sound of her barking in her sleep as I work on the sofa. I’ll miss her joy. The smallest of things made her light up; breakfast, bananas, a touch, a walk, a ball thrown. What a beautiful soul she was.
An animal family member is one of the biggest blessings. She is forever in our hearts.
Let me know if you have a special animal family member.