A Special Day, and a Heartfelt Thanks

I’m off today from my regular Xeets and Giggles (which will post tomorrow), but for a very special reason: I am excited to begin a new chapter.

As most of you know, I lost my darling doghter Hudson in July to a terrible accident that happened while I was away. After the initial shock and pain of her death subsided, I carried a deep grief for many months. Many times it was hard to summon the will to engage in work, self-care, and social contact with others. At the time, my heart still hadn’t healed from losing Ma, my company that I’d built for the last decade was floundering and going through cutbacks and layoffs, and it was admittedly hard to see the good through all the sadness and anxiety.

This community helped sustain me through the past few months. I received so many wonderful messages and offers of sympathy and support, and I read so many stories from many of you about your own experiences of death and loss, that I felt myself gaining a bit of strength and fortitude each day. I’m so grateful to all of you who kept me feeling productive and useful through the worst of times.

Before Hudson passed, I had planned to get a little sister for her, a tricolor corgi so she could have a regular playmate. I decided to go ahead with adopting her and starting a new story together. Today, I’m going to go fetch that puppy and welcome her to her forever home. World, meet Windsor the wonderpup!

I still think of and talk to Hudson every day. She told me in her unique bark that she’s very happy for me today. :)

Jay