It’s Memorial Day, a U.S. holiday dedicated to honoring military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. So before I go on I will pause and give a nod to those fallen soldiers and their families.

There’s a very special and personal reason Memorial Day is such an important holiday for me. Memorial Day weekend is Kali’s “Gotcha Day”. 12 years ago on the Saturday evening of Memorial weekend 2014 my sweet Golden Kali, now an angel, flew from Taiwan straight into our hearts literally changing the trajectory of our lives.

For the past four Memorial Days Kali is not laying on my feet as I write my Memorial Day/Gotcha Day post. But you know what? I can still feel her soft fur on my bare feet. I can still feel her steady breathing and the occasional sigh as she dreams about her next walk, or more likely her next meal. Kali loved food almost as much as she loved me! There are times when Kali’s name comes off my lips as a spontaneous whisper when I see a photo of her or when she crosses my mind. She remains and will always be omnipresent. She is my eternal Heart Dog.

Non dog people may not understand that previous paragraph. But if they had a deep relationship with a dog like I have with Kali they’d get it. Because….. (get ready for the understatement) life with a dog is much better than life without a dog.

So on this Memorial Weekend (#12), Kali’s Gotcha Day, I’m doing what I’ve done for the past eleven: write about Kali, our relationship, and the bond we have that transcends time and space.

Happy Day sweet girl, my Heart Dog. My rescuer. My therapist and confidant. My Golden Kali. ❤️