heather & olive

I knew after Olive died I would get another frenchie, and Mabel came from the same breeder. I think part of me anticipated having an Olive 2.0, but Mabel has proven to be anything but (aside from being a total sweetheart of a dog)--where Olive was a really low-key, cuddly potato, Mabel is super dramatic and super energetic. Her nickname is the bug (because she is a lovebug but also looks a bit like a bug with those bulging eyes), and I'm so grateful to have another little dog in my life.

Gosh, this is a tough one to write.

On November 2, 2021, I put Olive down. She had suffered a number of seizures that couldn't be controlled with medication and the vet thinks it was a brain tumor. While I didn't realize it in the months leading up to that day, it's clear now that something was up and she wasn't her usual self. Putting her down was both the hardest and easiest decision I've ever had to make: I'm so grateful I was able to take away her pain in a humane way but it was so incredibly difficult.

And that's the thing about having any pet, isn't it? You know your life with them is finite, but it's still such a massive gut punch when their time is up. I'm so, so lucky I had the ten years with her that I did. She was such a funny little dog--she loved to sleep, was always up for a snuggle and there was nothing she enjoyed more than splaying in a spot of sun or lying up against a heater to get cozy. She was with me through five different living situations, four jobs, a couple of breakups and every major and minor life event in between.

I still feel like a piece of me is missing--December was a really hard month and there continue to be times where I find myself looking for her or wondering if there's anything I need to grab for her when I'm running errands. And it’s just so quiet. 

I miss her so much.

So here's to Olive: the sweetest, noodliest dog I've ever known. She will always have a piece of my heart.