(continued)

Over the months that followed, I worked with therapists to understand the natural yet painful process of facing animal loss, complied worth-while facts, and used my reservoir of healing tools, as unbearable sadness passed through me––without pushing it away. My bed and desk piled up with notes, journals, and resources as I educated myself to heal, and kept going with the idea of helping others. Sometimes my grief is a heavy wave with the force of the sea, and other times, a smile under salty tears from a memory that brings immense appreciation of the time Tickles and I shared. She taught me how to love. She taught me how to be loved. She was my greatest teacher. A light in the dark––PALS is her creation.