Lazy Moon Farm

Yesterday evening we said goodbye to our sweet Chloe dog. She rested on the porch under the oaks with a cool fall breeze blowing in as she exhaled her final breaths. This morning as I go about my routines I’m left with a hole in my actions and my heart.

Chloe was my daily companion for over a decade. Our relationship mostly revolved around her needs, meals, pets and access to being outside, but she also unconditionally loved in return. When I first met Chloe she was a spastic, crazy, energetic dog who only wanted to run. Eryn had adopted her a couple months earlier as a famished, skittish shelter rescue but had quickly nursed her back to health. I had just lost our family dog and I wasn’t ready to have another. The decision ultimately wasn’t mine to make.

As Eryn and I began dating I’m pretty sure it was Chloe who I won over first. Trips to the dog park, walks around Concord, and treats tucked away in a pocket made me a favorite person. When Eryn and I moved in together Chloe was right there with us. She would be there with us through everything, our wedding, the purchase of our first home, when we brought both of our sons home, and even the move to our new home. The best days are fun to remember but even clearer was the day I almost lost my sister and how Chloe sat next to me as I made phone calls, arranged flights and did everything I could from nearly 1,000 miles away. She hardly left my side that day somehow knowing I need her calm loving presence.

As the years passed Chloe became my hiking companion always excited to see what was around the next bend. She was my fellow beach bum, ready to drop anything and go listen to the roll of the ocean. She was the reluctant gardner, excited to be outside but unwilling to work. And she was the boys protector, hesitant at first but eventually rewarded with wayward dinner scraps and loving attention.

My life was enriched with thousands of moments of joy with Chloe. Memories of her unbridled enthusiasm for walks, treats and Eryn’s arrival home will always bring me joy. The pain of loss is tempered with the love she always shared. I miss you sweet girl, thank you for choosing us.