Most nights I sit and read in my over-sized red chair. When I look up, I see this wall. I call it my wall of love.

Cassie, my chocolate Lab on the right who has been gone 8 years.  A painting of Frankie on the left done by my friend, Cassy Tully commissioned by my husband as a gift for our 26th wedding anniversary. The family photo of John, me, Kylie and Frankie in the middle.  That photo was taken for Woman’s World when Frankie and my story was featured in it in July 2010.  The smaller photo on the left of Kylie and Frankie given to me by my mom.

When Joie passed away in August, having only had her ten months, the wall remained incomplete for a few weeks with no photo of her.  It struck me one day as I was thinking of her and looked to my wall of love realizing it was missing something.

We each have our own ways of grieving. Without Joie’s  photo of the wall, it felt odd, as if she was never even here, though I knew she was. It brought tears to my eyes one day when I realized this.  I immediately hopped on the computer and ordered this photo of her which is under glass done by Fracture.  This photo was taken of her on the movie set of The Surface.

When it arrived a few days later, I shed a few tears looking at her photo.  But then I lovingly placed her upon the shelf along with the other love dogs of my life. For me, this was a full circle moment. I felt like I honored her in my own special way and it helped me move forward.  I love looking to that wall now and feeling all the amazing energy of love that comes from it.