Christmas is about family

Chucky and I in our matching hats

Some of those that I grew up with and called family are not here to celebrate with me anymore. I'm talking about furbabies/fursiblings.

My childhood cat, Chucky Tommy (named after the Rugrats), died a little over a year ago. He was fifteen, riddled with cancer, and senile. He was a great playmate growing up. I would dress him in doll dresses, push him in doll strollers, put him in doll cribs. He got forgotten in a hamper once. He slept on my head like a turban every night. I'd carry him around the house, he would wrap his legs around me and wrap his tail around me like a monkey. He never once tried to destroy the Christmas tree, but he did enjoy sitting under it on the velvet tree skirt my mom made. This Christmas my mom found the little Santa hat I'd always put on him this time of year. Seeing it brought me to tears. I miss him dearly.

(From left to right) Stella, Frankie, me, and Chucky

We had two Greyhounds, Francesca "Frankie" and Stella, also childhood companions. What wonderful dogs they were, and so loving. Frankie was mine and Stella was my mom's. Frankie was named after a male pony I once leased for a summer. They were both rescues from the track. Every year the girls would get new toys for Christmas. Stella usually got a new bone. Frankie got squeaky toys. One year we gave her a Christmas moose and another year she got a possum. She loved the flip them through the air and squeak them till they squeaked no more. Frankie's end was unexpected. She was 11, but still so happy. Her back end began to fail her rapidly. We lost her 2 days before I left for my first year of college. I spent the next year randomly bursting into tears at random times and saying "my dog is dead". It was horrible. Stella was 13 and that was more expected, but still hurt none the less.

Frankie and her Christmas possum

I made this after Frankie died and paid to have it made into a sticker
that I put on my RAV 4

Olivia's joy is contagious, I can't wait for her to open her gifts tomorrow morning. But I know seeing her with her new toys will remind me of Frankie with her possum. I miss carrying Chucky around wearing our matching Santa hats. I miss Stella's watchful eye while we opened presents, and then she would sneak up when you weren't looking and steal the things she liked.

I love you babies, and I miss you so much. Merry Christmas, I know you're all celebrating together in heaven.

Stella and Chucky
Chucky would sit with Stella when she wasn't feeling well

Chucky licking his foot haha

Stella, Frankie, and I before my high school freshman
year semi-formal

Frankie (the rippling in her forehead is a scar. She
got kicked in the head by a deer and had something
like 30+ pieces of her skull wired back together.
She made it though it.)

Stella

Stella