Dear Reader,
This week has been incredibly difficult.
After a lovely week in Texas visiting my family, I returned home excited to finish planning and preparing for our women’s retreat on the 27th.
As we settled back into our routines, tragedy struck last Sunday. My sweet kitty, Frankie, experienced a medical emergency and died as my husband and I tried everything we could to save him.
It was traumatic and I have been moving through quite a bit of grief this past week. I have lost animals before, but this was my first experience losing one while actively trying to save them. Frank was only four years old, so his passing was sudden and unexpected.
I don’t have a polished message to tie this week together. Sometimes life is just painful, and all we can do is move through it, breathe and try to balance the grief with the memories love. Remembering all of the joy Frank brought to our lives has been incredibly healing for me during this difficult time.
In honor of Frankie's life I would love to share a little bit about him with you, so that we can all honor Frank together.
🧡 I rescued Frank from a farm I worked on in the Spring of 2022. When I found him, I thought he was dead. I was holding his little body and saying a little prayer....and then he took a teeny-tiny-little breath. He came back to life and of course, came home with me. My step-daughter decided Frankenstein was his name, and we all agreed. (aka Frank, Frankie, Franklin, Stank-eye, Frankie-stankie, Frank-stank)
🧡 The first month he was with us he got a really bad infection that affected his respiratory system and his eyes. His right eye never fully opened back up, giving him his permanent stank-eye, which we would come to find out fit his personality perfectly. 😂
🧡 Frank LOVED open windows. If I opened the window he was guaranteed to come running FULL FORCE down the hallway and jump up there before my other cats even had a chance. He loved to lay there in the breeze, watching the birds and snoozing when the sun hit him just right.
🧡 My husband was Frank's favorite person. Frank would perch himself up on Bobby's shoulders and ride around the house with him. When he wanted to cuddle he would curl up on Bobby's chest and nuzzle his neck and purr, purr, purr.
🧡 Frank HATED the vacuum but also refused to leave the room if I was vacuuming. He had to be there so he could hiss at it and try to swat it into submission.
🧡 Frank loved to sit on the cat tree and swat at all people/dogs/sentient beings as they walked through the doorway. It was a game to him and he loved to hop around on that cat tree and play.
🧡 Frank was one of a kind. The house doesn't feel the same without him and I suppose it never will. But that is okay, because the four years of LOVE we got with him was worth every single ounce of grief I have felt. If I had the chance to do it all over again, knowing this is how it would end, I would happily choose Frank again and again.
Thank you Frank for filling our lives with so much joy and laughter and love. You will be missed little buddy.
Love,
Mom
A Space for Our Pet Babies
I think losing an animal cuts so deep because their love is so pure. As I have moved through these first days of missing Frank, I am reminded of how many of us carry the love, and grief, of a special animal who is no longer physically here with us.
If you are reading this and a specific furry, feathered, or four-legged friend just came to your mind, I would love to hear about them!
Hit reply to this email and tell me a little bit about a special animal in your life who has passed on. What was their name? What was their funny little quirk? What made them them?
You don't have to write anything polished or long. I would just love to hold a little space for their memory this week and I think it could be healing for us all.
Finding My Anchor This Week
To be completely transparent, sitting down to write an email, work on the summer solstice retreat or stick to a routine has felt nearly impossible this week. But I’ve also realized that when the world spins out of control, our small, daily anchors are what keep us from floating away.
Before all of this happened, I filmed a 15-minute Morning Ritual Practice and posted it on YouTube. I originally created it to help us start our day with calm and clarity. But this week, I've been using it just to help myself breathe and stay present when the grief feels too heavy.
If your nervous system is feeling stressed, loud, or overwhelmed for your own reasons right now, I hope this practice can help you.
A Space to Soften
This heartbreak has also deeply shifted how I am looking forward to our Summer Solstice Retreat on June 27th.
More than ever, I realize how desperately we need spaces where we can just drop our armor, be present, and soften without having to pretend we have it all figured out.
If your soul is craving a pause and reset in community with other women, there are still three spaces left for you to join us. Let's take care of ourselves, together.
From my heart to yours,
Misty
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$120.00
Soften & Savor - a Summer Solstice Retreat
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Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel to practice with me from the comfort of your home!
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