A Hero's Memorial

Today is my dog’s birthday, but we can’t celebrate together, because he died about six weeks ago (rereading this sentence I laughed out loud so if you did too, well, good for us!). I can’t explain the impact that little guy had on my life. I was in a dark, dark place when I got him, and he comforted me and encouraged me and I don’t think I would be where I am today (physically, mentally, emotionally) if he wasn’t a part of my life. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a 30lb dog, but we sort of took each other on as a project, and we grew up and healed together. He was sick for most of this year, and when he finally left me, it was clear that this was his time. While I know he was ready to go, I still feel like my heart is missing a piece. My house is so quiet, and I hate it. I miss my Hero.

I realized I needed some ways to symbolize the impact Hero had on the past 13 years of my life. I found the Etsy shop Barkley and Wagz, who make custom pet ear portraits. I got a necklace with Hero’s ears, a halo, and his name. I liked the idea that I could wear his memory close to my heart, and it turned out beautifully.

I also wanted something for the backyard - as my dad put it, “It’s Hero’s yard, and he needs to be there forever.” - but I had a hard time finding something simple. A lot of pet memorial stores and so verbose, and neither Hero nor I are flowery language types. I didn’t want a poem or a platitude, I just wanted something to signify that he was here, and he was important.

SJ Engraving, also on Etsy, makes just what I wanted. I ordered a 5-6” stone, with his name and a paw print. I had a hard time choosing which font I wanted, and I used this site to write out Hero’s name in multiple fonts, all next to each other, to see what they would look like (I went with Americana). There’s a long lead time on these stones, and mine won’t be here will December, but I think it’s going to be perfect.