Loyalty
Our family unexpectedly lost an incredible family member on New Years Eve. While it is still raw and fresh, I wanted to use this means to share a long overdue and necessary dedication post. While she was not 2 legged, she had just as an important role in our family as if she was. Meet our sweet Ember. Ember’s journey with us started when we were newly married. An unexpected, 6 pound fluff ball was ready for her forever home on Father’s Day in 2013. Before we knew it we were driving out to a small farm town to meet our girl. She was the runt of the litter but full of spunk. She was our “first baby”. While we originally gave her the name Ember for my husband’s firefighting profession, it also is name that represents strength, determination, and a bright and shining spirit. It is also a symbol of a fire that burns deep within. Oh, how Ember sure lived up to her namesake.
In the (not long enough) 10.5 years we had with Ember, she traveled with us, she patiently handled numerous house remodels (although we quickly learned as she got older she hated the sound of an air compressor), she celebrated holidays, milestones, birthdays (in true Ember form she got a ribeye steak and peanut butter pie for hers!) and more. She sat with me and gave me an immense amount of comfort as I was miscarrying my first pregnancy. She mastered the perfect dog snow angel on fresh snow. She gave you the best “welcome home” greeting at the door for you… unselfishly she extended that to the two babies that we brought home. She watched over both kids rooms and became our protector on shift nights. She was the true retriever and without fail always had one of your socks or a shoe in her mouth. In her last few years with us, she became our grounding force when navigating Chase’s brain injury.
Having grown up with dogs my entire life, I felt that Ember was different. She just seemed to “get it”… I mean, really get it. In grief, she comforted. In loneliness, she gave companionship. In times of fear, she calmed. In times of danger, oh boy, there was no messing with her family. Her intuition was nothing like I’ve ever seen or experienced in an animal. At one point, I had considered furthering her training to become a therapy dog, but deep down, she still had the spirit in her that we couldn’t keep “contained” in a therapeutic environment. 🤪
In my final semester of obtaining my master’s degree, I had to complete a thesis research paper. Ember was the first thing that came into my mind. I poured hours into researching the benefits of dogs, especially in times of trauma or for those with disabilities. I wish I could say I was floored about the amount of research that shows the tremendous benefits dogs give us in this world, but it didn’t surprise me. I first hand was living it and able to experience myself. My biggest surprise was “If there is all this massive amount of research on the benefits of having dogs in our life not only from a health perspective but socially emotionally, why aren’t we utilizing this more?” Ember sat next to me for weeks as I wrote up that 20+ page paper. God love her.
Sidenote: For a great read more on this topic and the health benefits of dogs a must read is:
Fast forward to 2020, and while I knew all these incredible things about Ember, it didn’t surprise me how she reacted when we were navigating Chase’s brain injury. For our family, she was our calm during the storm. She comforted me in times of worry and fear. She would hear my phone ring and plop down right next to me as I navigated long phone calls. She was a companion filling a temporary void in our house, all while she was missing “her person” too. Instead of turning into a depressed and sad dog, she focused on me and the kids. There was no greater joy watching her tail wag excessively as she got to see Chase during our Facetime chats while he was in the hospital. When Chase got home though, she went into the most beautiful mode I have ever seen in her. I wish I could share with you the pictures I have of the two of them that beautifully resembles this, but it’s such a sacred moment in our family, that it is meant to stay that way. What it came down to was she didn’t leave Chase’s side. She comforted him. She laid on him when the world felt so confusing. She knew when the headaches were brewing and would simply lay next to him to help the pain go away. She followed him to be sure his balance was stable during those early days and used her body as a protector just in case. Her joy and relief of him being home was seen in actions of compassion and service.
Losing a pet is never easy…. But losing a pet who navigated one of our biggest life events as a family has been the most gut wrenching part. I could not even imagine how I would have gotten it through without Ember’s presence. Having her crawl into the empty side of the bed at night to help me sleep, or her goofy sense of humor to lighten up the mood at home. Ember was part of “our village” for the last 10.5 years. She was the quiet, loyal, and consistent part that so often is not recognized. Not only was she with us the last 10.5 years as a family member, she was the “ember” who gave us the fire deep within the darkness. This post is dedicated to you my sweet Ember. How thankful our hearts have been loved by you and got to experience your unwavering love and loyalty, especially as we navigated one of the hardest moments of our lives. We’ll see you on the other side of the bridge and how I can’t wait for your warm welcome again.
Christmas Eve Walk 2023
In Loving Memory of Ember Olson
April 22, 2013 - December 31, 2023