One year.
One whole year since you suddenly left us, Happy.
It still doesn’t feel real. It still feels like yesterday. We lost you to GDV so suddenly, at a time when I was pregnant and dreaming about the day you would meet your little human brother. I remember imagining you with him, wondering how much you would love him and how you would become his little guardian (which I know you still are, from up above). But you never got to meet him.
And somehow, the hardest part is that Sharva is so much like you. He wakes up at 6:30 in the morning, just like you always did. He loves people. He loves going out. He is always so happy to meet everyone. He is a big FOMO baby just like you! His eyes always track me, just like yours always did! And, of course, he absolutely loves his food, just like you did!
Sometimes I look at him and think, Happy, is that you! Happy, you would have loved Sharva. You would have been so excited to meet your little brother. I can imagine you following him around, watching everything he does, sitting beside him while he eats, and probably keeping a very close eye on whether he was going to share his food with you! I wish more than anything that you had gotten to meet him.
You may not be present physically, but you are still such a huge part of our everyday life. Everyone in the family still talk about you as if you are right here with us. Your pictures are everywhere around the house. We see your face every day. We tell Sharva stories about you. He also has a book about you and him. We show him your pictures and talk to him about his big sister Happy—about how much you loved people, how much you loved going out, how much you loved food, and how much happiness you brought wherever you went.
You are still part of our conversations.
Still part of our memories.
Still part of our home.
Still part of our family.
We miss you every single day.
Every single minute.
And there is another part of losing you that still hurts—the thought of Stella without you. Sometimes we feel guilty that, with Sharva taking up so much of our time and attention, there are moments when we don’t give Stella as much attention as we wish we could. And in those moments, I can’t help but think that you should have been here. You would have kept her company like you always did.
She wouldn’t have had to wonder where everyone was. She would have had you beside her, just as she always did. I wish you were here to keep her company. I wish you were here to share in this crazy, beautiful chaos of our family growing. I wish Stella still had her Happy beside her becaue last year on this day Stella lost her best friend too.
Sometimes I wonder if Sharva’s little quirks are your way of staying connected to us. His love for people. His excitement to go out. His early mornings. His absolute love for food. That happy little spirit. Maybe a little piece of you really did find its way to him.
And I hope you know, Happy, that your little brother is growing up surrounded by your memory. He may never get to feel your soft fur or see your wagging tail, but he will know you. He will grow up hearing your name, seeing your pictures, and knowing just how loved you were.
You were never just our dog. You were our family. Our happiness. Our constant companion. A huge piece of our hearts. And one year later, you still are. Happy, I hope wherever you are, you know how deeply you are loved. You are still spoken about. Still remembered. Still missed. And if love could have kept you here, you would have lived forever.
We miss you, our Happy girl.
Every day.
Every minute.
Always.
To Happy — Forever Our Girl, Forever Sharva’s big Sister, Forever Stella’s Companion, and Forever a part of our Family. ❤️🐾
