I dedicate these words to you my sweet Tika and all of the light you brought to my life with your kind and beautiful presence for 9 years. You’ve been gone a week and I miss you so much my funny girl. My sweetness, my best girl, the love of my life, the light of my life and the best decision I ever made was adopting you. I thought we had more time together, I wasn’t ready to say good bye. Your presence is so missed, your absence heavily felt. You were always there for me, you kissed my tears away, you saw me at my best and my worst, you know all my secrets, and in my lowest and darkest times, you were my light. You got me out of the house and reminded me to appreciate the little things. To stop and smell the roses, literally, because nothing made you happier then getting all your sniffs in. You have the sweetest and kindest soul my Tika.

Our Sunday evenings at the beach together. Everyone would stop to pet you and tell you how sweet and pretty you were.

You always appreciated the beauty of nature, you’d stare off into the ocean at the beach and roll around in the grass any chance you had. Everytime we went outside, you’d have a big smile on your face, “It’s ok momma, we are outside now so everything is fine.” For 9 years, we’d be outside for hours at a time and you still wouldn’t want to come back inside. You were a warrior and an old soul my sweet Tika. After your spinal injury, you learned to walk again and nothing could hold you back. You always tried so hard and as long as we were going outside, you didn’t have a care in the world. “I’ll keep going momma, I’m fine.” For 9 years, it was never “me,” it was always “we” because if I was going anywhere, it really meant “we” were going somewhere.

My sweetness, I just miss you so much. I knew something was wrong recently, we went to the vet, we did your tests, I changed your food, added probiotics, we did all the things but momma didn’t know until it was too late. Your cancer was too aggressive. Everyone came to visit you when they heard the news, you responded well to your acupuncture and herbs the last week and we had a special time together but Sunday, June 14th, your sweet soul got called to the other side. 9 years wasn’t nearly enough time with you. I thought we had much more time left together my funny girl. You were the dog of my life Tika, my best friend, you taught me unconditional love and you showed me how committed I really can be when I love another soul so much.

Beach time with my best girlfriend, Kava Bean. Photo courtesy of my uncle Krystian.

I’ll never forget our last week together, our last walk on lincoln road, the last turkey burgers I made for us, the last woo woo, the last playing with your toys and our last night together. We sat outside for 2 hours, you watched the water, you got tons of sniffs in and barked at a few people who walked by. You just didn’t feel good the next morning, we had coffee on the balcony like usual and I even noticed you watching the trees in a different way. I stayed with you, I did everything I could to make you comfortable. It was just you and me, like always, and I held you as your sweet soul transitioned. Run free my sweet Tika, my best friend, my funny girl. Your momma loves you so much!

Rolling around in the grass was your favorite. My sweet funny girl, you were the love and light of my life. Run free my angel Tika Turner, your momma loves you so much!