Tis the season...
It’s that time of year again. The tree goes up, the lights start twinkling, and the stockings come out. Maybe you’re hanging yours now, and there it is—their stocking. The one with their name stitched across it.
I understand how hard that moment can be. My Joey was lifted up and laid to rest on December 27th, 2019, and Lucy on December 24, 2021. This season always feels a little heavier for me because of this. The holidays bring up so many memories of family, traditions, and the love we’ve shared, and sometimes, especially at Christmas, we feel the absence of our pets more than ever.
That stocking, whether it’s still hanging or tucked away in a box, can feel like a gut punch. It’s a small thing, but it holds so much. Memories of them chewing away at presents, playing with ribbons, or curling up in the middle of the chaos, perfectly content. For us, we would often find both Joey and Lucy asleep under the tree once the presents were opened and everyone's bellies were full.
I think it’s okay to miss them. To smile when you remember them, and to cry, too, if that’s what happens. That’s the thing about love, it doesn’t disappear just because someone isn’t here. It sticks with us, and during the holidays, it’s often right there alongside the joy and the laughter.
Maybe this year, you’ll light a candle for them or share a story about how they made Christmas mornings that much better. Maybe you’ll leave their stocking out as a quiet way of keeping them close.
It’s a difficult time of year, and if you’re feeling that ache, know you’re not alone. The pets we’ve lost, like Joey and Lucy for me, will always be part of our holidays. They’re part of the memories we carry, the love we feel, and the traditions we hold onto, even if it feels different now.
So as you pull out those stockings and ornaments, or as you curl up in the quiet of the season, let yourself feel whatever comes because that love is still with you. And maybe that’s the greatest gift of all.
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