Meet Ollie

When Life Fell Apart, My Fur Babies Held Me Together

At 55, I never imagined I would be starting over.

After 27 years of marriage, the life I knew cracked open in a way I did not see coming. An affair. A decision made without me. A door closed behind a man I had built a life with. Suddenly, I wasn’t just grieving a marriage, I was grieving an identity, a future, and a version of myself I thought was secure.

I was already an empty nester. My girls were grown and finding their way, as they should. I was proud of them. But when the house went quiet after everything fell apart, the silence was deafening.

And yet, I was not alone.

Ollie, my dog, and Timbit, my cat, stayed.

They didn’t ask questions. They didn’t need explanations. They didn’t need me to be strong or composed or okay. They simply showed up, every single day.

On the darkest nights, when betrayal sat heavy in my chest and sleep wouldn’t come, Ollie pressed closer to me, as if he knew my heart was breaking. He followed me from room to room, refusing to let me disappear into my own sadness. Timbit curled beside me in stillness, offering quiet comfort that felt sacred.

There were moments I truly believe they knew everything.

They knew Mommy was hurting.
They knew something was wrong.
And somehow, instinctively, they knew how to help me heal.

When I couldn’t stop crying, Ollie rested his head on my lap.
When anxiety rattled my bones, Timbit purred like a steady heartbeat reminding me to breathe.
When the world felt unsafe, they made my home feel like a refuge again.

The love they gave was immeasurable.

Four years later, I look back with gratitude that overwhelms me. I thank God every day for my fur babies—and for my girls, who remain my greatest blessing. But I know, without a doubt, that I would not be the woman I am today without the quiet, constant love of a dog and a cat who never left my side.

This is why I believe so deeply in celebrating our pets.

Dogs and all animals who love us give more than companionship. They give emotional safety. They give loyalty without conditions. They give us purpose on days when getting out of bed feels impossible. They give love without betrayal.

Dogs deserve to be celebrated.
Not just on birthdays or holidays but for the way they save us in moments no one else sees.

Ollie didn’t fix my life.
Timbit didn’t erase my pain.

But they reminded me that love still existed.
That I was still worthy of it.
And that even when life begins again in pieces, something beautiful can grow in the cracks.

Because sometimes, healing has four legs and waits patiently for you to come back to yourself.

Greatful fur mom