I apologize that you didn't hear from me last week. It was a rough one.
(Trigger warning: death loss. I want to give you a heads up about today's message in case you are struggling with grief over a recent death.)
We woke up last Saturday morning to a very sick dog and made a vet appointment right away. My husband and I packed both kids and our dog into the car and made our way to the vet's office. After talking to the doctor, we made the very difficult decision that it was time to say goodbye to our beloved pup of fourteen years.
This is an old picture of just the three of us way before we had our first [human] child.
This is when we really became a family.
Now, of course, our family has grown and we have two kids but this past week has felt very empty without Bayley's presence.
Both my partner and I have been struggling with this loss but what I am grateful for is that we lean in to each other during times like this.
We always hug each other every day, but this past week, we have hugged A LOT more than usual.
We have allowed each other space to shed tears and laugh about memories together.
Although I have felt an emptiness this past week, I also feel the full love my partner has for me and that I have for him.
In short, I'm glad we have each other to get through this together.
My hope is that you and your partner have this type of relationship as well, especially through the tough times. Please don't make the mistake of trying to stand on your own in a storm when you can be so much stronger leaning in to each other.
With gratitude,
Christie Sears Thompson
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
The Partnerhood (www.thepartnerhood.com)
Trade Winds Therapy & Relationship Coaching (www.tradewindstherapy.com)