Tag: rory

Memory: Pretending to be a Dog

stephaniemoorewrites

Rory loved animals. I’ve shared that.

She pretended to be a dog all the time.

She’d go down on her hands and knees or sometimes just bend her elbows.

She would bark.

She would pant.

Sometimes she’d try to lick an arm or face. That was less enjoyable.

As she was getting older, I began noticing she’d turn into a dog when her anxiety increased.

Aside from play times with her friends, she’d turn pretend to be a dog when she didn’t know what to do with herself.

When she didn’t know how to act or what to say.

Her pretend time as a dog was starting to wane by the time she passed away.

But I’m grateful it wasn’t completely gone because I can still hear echos of her barks in my head.

I miss that.

I miss her.

Rory’s Birthday Service Project

stephaniemoorewrites

Holidays are hard.

Starting with Halloween, there are a lot of days Lance and I would rather stay in bed.

Our “holiday season” ends February 6th with Rory’s birthday.

Last year, leading up to her birthday is when my sleeping and emotional state hit an all time low.

The one thing that kept me sane was our children’s hospital service projects.

So we’re doing another service project this year!

We’re doing something that was near and dear to Rory’s heart.

ANIMALS!

She loved them all! (Except roosters.)

We’re going to be collecting items for our local animal shelter. And we’d LOVE your help. Here are some examples of things they’re in need of:

  • Fleece blankets and towels (used or new)
  • Wet cat food or broth for sick cats
  • Cat and dog toys
  • Soft cat and dog treats
  • Canned dog and cat food
  • Newspaper
  • Disinfectant wipes
  • Paper towels
  • Bleach
  • Trash bags (kitchen and liner trash bags)
  • Sponges
  • Anti-Bacterial dish soap
  • Latex gloves (Large, medium & small)
  • Q-Tips
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Band Aids (all sizes)
  • Distilled Water
  • Medical tape
  • Ink Pens (Blue/Black)
  • Duct Tape
  • Tape
  • Batteries (AAA, AA and 9V)
  • Copier Paper
  • Scissors
  • Staplers
  • Highlighters
  • Sharpies (all colors)
  • Paper Clips
  • Rubber Band

    • Message or email me for my contact information.

    Thank you for helping us celebrate her birthday!

    Rory was Funny

    stephaniemoorewrites

    No one could be around Rory for any length of time without smiling.

    Towards the end, she was starting to come into more mature humor. Making word play, reacting to others.

    But for the most part she would make funny sounds.

    Have us laughing with her funny faces.

    She’d tackle with tickles.

    Getting down with her dance moves.

    Singing in an opera voice.

    There was never a dull moment with Rory.

    And most were filled with smiles.

    One Year

    stephaniemoorewrites

    Minutes

    Hours

    Days

    Weeks

    One year.

    To some extent, it feels arbitrary. We’ve already had 364 tear-stained days. Why does 365 hurt more?

    It’s the memories.

    The missing.

    Getting through firsts.

    The sad realization that this one year is indicative of the rest of our lives.

    I think it’d be easier to stay curled up in bed today.

    Instead, I’m going to hug my boys, my husband, my family.

    I want to share her love today. To remember her. To honor her.

    She was light.

    She is light.

    She will always be light.