Sweet Girl ~in honor of our precious, sweet sheltie we lost suddenly to liver failure last fri. She was the best of dogs The company arrived the day you died, and stayed for three nights. It was.... a slight distraction. But now they're gone, and #life resumes it's standard rituals. And with each daily routine, the grief and pain sink deeper into my bones. You had always been there a quiet, gentle presence. But now, the absense of you is like a silent scream. It fills the house, and echos off the cabinets and walls. It coats, like ashes and soot. The minus of you is a pallor that assaults the view of every nook and cranny in this house. It feels like a tomb in here. It's been a week, and the journey of my grief unfolds in layers. At first there was a helpless rage. Then, we wept anew at each routine you were no longer there for. Then, my arms ached for an entire day with the longing to feel you once again. Around day four, I was looking for someone to blame. My thoughts cast like sticky nets to drag in every detail, every possible culprit. No one escaped examination. Including ourselves. It's been a month, and last night we shared with eachother the odd, inconspicous ways your death has effected us. Even our remaining sheltie seems a bit lost. We all feel incomplete. And although the deafening echo of your absence still bounces off the walls, my brain and heart are beginning to acclimate. It will be a different #life now without you. But your gentle, sweet nature has touched our hearts. And there, you will remain forever.