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I have worked from home the entire time we’ve lived here in Louisville (2002). When we moved here (my hometown) from NYC, my husband had a crazy schedule as an ER doctor, and I couldn’t really continue my career as a meeting planner who had to fly to different cities with a moment’s notice. We wanted to start a family and we knew that meant I’d be the default parent – a role I couldn’t wait to have. 

Our dog, SoHo, a yellow lab, was the first dog we had with our kids. She was the baby who helped raise our babies into toddlers. She let them learn to roll over by grabbing her ears and pulling, she ate the food they didn’t want when they threw it overboard from their high chair. At one point a toddler even “rode” her like a horse. She used to sleep outside their rooms when they were babies and she snuggled up so close to me when I was pregnant. We lost her at age 10. The kids were in kindergarten and third grades I think? I was working from home but I spent a lot of time sitting in a coffee shop building the first iteration of this business. 

When SoHo died, I couldn’t be home. It was silent. The kids were in school and my husband was at work and it was horrible. I think I made it 48 hours before I started inquiring about puppies. Less than two months later, we brought home Gramercy. My husband wasn’t ready. He was still grieving SoHo. But we were a family built around a dog and a dog we would have. And we decided we would never be dogless again. So when Gramercy was about six years old, we brought home TriBeCa. From the time Gramercy came home I stopped sitting at the coffee shop. A puppy needs constant attention and care so I just moved the whole portable office home. 

Yesterday we lost Gramercy. She was almost 12. She was diagnosed with lung cancer two weeks ago. We spent two weeks unable to get her to eat, watching her pace around in discomfort, having trouble breathing. Eventually her legs got weak from standing all day and she hadn’t had any actual food in almost a week. It was time. 

One child in college and one a senior in high school. Gramercy helped raise them. She was their playdate. She taught them responsibility. And in these last few weeks, they cared for her, especially the one who is still home. 

My son is 18 years old and has submitted his college applications. He’s soon to fly away from the nest. It’s hard to think about when your kids are little that someday they will both leave, but here we are. When we lost SoHo in 2012, the kids were little. We protected them from the word and the thought of euthanasia. We didn’t share the whole story at the time. We grieved, we moved on and eventually (maybe a little too soon) we dove back in to dog ownership. 

This time, because he’s an adult and because he is still home, he could see precisely what was happening. There was no attempting to hide this from my children and there was no protecting them from the inevitable. And, together, we partnered and collaborated on the daily best course of action. He’d come home during his free periods and he’d message from school to check on her. And in the end, as devastating as the decision was, it was a family decision. I watched this young man who was once a boy throwing a ball to his dog become her #1 caretaker, helping me make decisions on what to feed her, if we should try and walk her, whether or not drugging her with Benadryl so she’d sleep at night was the right thing to do (it was). 

When my daughter left for college in 2022, she was more than ready. I was also ready because she was so ready. I’ve been very sad lately thinking about my son leaving now too. But watching him these past few months honestly helped me. He’s responsible, he’s collaborative, he’s compassionate. 

So here I go, entering my next chapter. Empty nester. Am I old? Hmm. Maybe. But knowing they are on the road to THEIR next chapters, and knowing that I get to follow along and cheer for them from behind is comforting. 

Will we get TriBeCa a puppy to play with? We will. But it might be the thing that fills the void when the kids are both gone next year. The next one won’t be the kids’ dog. She will be mine (yes, I’ll share with my husband but remember what I said…default parent). 

So while I feel my work here is about “done” I’m so grateful I took these years to work and also be involved in their school, to build a business and also to drive carpool, to do conference calls from the car while I picked them up from theater rehearsal or sports practice. 

I’m a grieving dog mom and a very proud mom. And working from home gave me that opportunity. 

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