One year today without my boy King.

King was my constant for seventeen years. He was gentle, loyal, and quietly wise in a way only dogs who have lived a full life can be. He grew up with me and stayed through every chapter—through change, heartbreak, and the moments when life felt unbearably heavy. When I lost my parents, King carried me through the grief in ways no one else could. He stayed close when words failed, offering comfort without asking anything in return. In the loneliest seasons of my life, he was my reason to keep going. In his later years, King became my little grumpy old man. He loved his routines, his naps, and curling up beside me, just as he always had. He didn’t need much from the world—only love, familiarity, and the person he trusted most. He gave me more comfort than he will ever know. On December 13, 2024, King passed away peacefully in my arms. He was deeply loved, protected until the very end, and never alone.

And to you, my sweet boy—

Going into a new year without you broke something in me. The world talked about fresh starts while I was learning how to breathe without you beside me. Life didn’t just change—it shifted, permanently. My days are quieter now. My routines feel incomplete. I still reach for you without thinking. I still look for you in the places you used to be. Loving you shaped my life, and losing you reshaped it in ways I’m still trying to understand. I don’t know exactly how to move forward in a world where I love you from a distance instead of across the room. But I do know this—you carried me when I couldn’t carry myself, and now I will carry you with me into every year that comes next. You were my best friend. You still are.

Love always, Mommy