To Nala

Nala… 

Was she a dream? A purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy that was given to us as a gift, doesn't even seem possible, maybe she was a dream.  

I got Nala when she was 6 weeks old. We were living in Costa Rica at the time, so she was a tica puppy. She seemed to love us as soon as I brought her home, which always seemed like a miracle. I brought her to my shop on day one, and she just slept in the middle of the shop floor.  I knew she was my perfect companion. 

My baby Nala

She spent her puppy time going to the beach, swimming in the river, chewing on coconuts and sleeping in my shop, emphasis on the sleeping.  She was so lazy that my husband thought there was something wrong with her. 

This was the time right before we all moved back to Miami, a time of struggle and heartbreak. It was beyond difficult to let go of a dream that had consumed my world for 15 years. And through all of this difficult transition, Nala was there to love me unconditionally and help me heal. She held my hand and heart as I went through huge life transitions and transformations. 

The best friend I could ever ask for

I took her everywhere I went… on airplanes, family trips, boats, camping, Stiltsville. She was always there, my little shadow.  

She was a big girl, 88 pounds, and if the car was packed all the way and there was not one inch for her to pile in, she could instantly shape shift into a small dog in the tiniest places if it meant she was coming too. 

When I was building and dreaming of my new Miami shop life she was there every step of the way. And she was there everyday with me as I worked before and after opening. And at 6pm she would tell me it was time to close the shop and go home.  

The best shop dog

I used to wonder how it was ok with her to just listen to me all day long, but she did. She loved it even more when I adorned her with bandanas and necklaces. I even painted her nails a few times, and I swear she liked it.

Me and Nala in Miami

Nala was the truest love I have ever had with a dog. She was so kind and sweet. She was a huge part of me. Maybe when you lose your dog, one of the saddest parts is that you lose part of you. You lose who you were when you got the dog cause you have changed. All the moments that dog went through with you are long gone and will never be again. Dogs are like chapters of our lives.

People always commented on how great she was, and I always felt like the luckiest person in the world to be her human. How am I deserving of this great love? This unexplainable love only someone who lived it could understand. I would never in a million years imagine that she would be gone now. I had envisioned us old and gray together snuggling on the couch, and it's hard to let that go. To say goodbye to my favorite 24/ 7 companion has been one of the hardest things I've had to go through. A piece of me is gone too. Forever in my heart until we cross the rainbow bridge together… never to be separated again.