i loved gracie’s bright green eyes from the moment i saw her 9 years ago in arizona. i found gracie at a cute little shelter during a time when i was losing the person i loved most. she’s been with me through things i never thought i would be able to survive. by taking care of her, i learned how to take care of myself. i love the way she runs up to me when i get home, follows me everywhere & anywhere and always had to make her presence known by meowing until we acknowledged her (no matter the time of day). i love the way she lets the sun warm up her pretty brown fur and how it made her green eyes sparkle. i love the way she has to sleep right next to me every single night without ever missing a day. i never wanted to imagine a world where we didn’t face the day together. grief isn’t just the loss of my gracie, it’s the loss of the million little things i loved every day. i’m reminded every time i law my head down to rest and she’s not there to drift off to sleep with me. i’m reminded when every time my house is silent when i come home from work and there aren’t any sweet little meows or head bumps on my legs. time truly is a thief, i always thought we would have more of these moments together. thank you, gracie, for the lessons you taught me and for the millions of memories i’ll hold on my heart forever. if pure unconditional love alone could have saved you, i know you would have lived forever. when you feel the warmth of the sun on your skin or see bright green, i hope you think of her, my gracie girl.