A love letter to my dachshunds

Dexter & Bella, you continue to alter my world in unimaginable ways...

From the moment I brought you home and met your wild, knowing eyes, I knew life would never be the same. I had never had a companion like you before—I had no idea what to expect. My heart was wide open, but my knowledge was lacking. You could live up to 20 years, a commitment like raising a child, yet nothing could have prepared me for how completely you would change my world.

In those early days, I quickly learned that sometimes you can take on more than you’re ready for—figuratively for me, and quite literally for you. You tore through household items like wildfire, a tiny hurricane of mischief and destruction. But in return, you taught me patience in ways I never imagined.

And you warmed my soul in ways I never knew I needed. The way you circle and dig, fussing over your blanket until your nest is just right. The deep, dramatic sighs, as if you’ve been working yourself to the bone. The way your tiny tongue peeks out as you nap, completely at ease for hours. The way you burrow under the covers, pressing close, as if there’s nowhere else in the world you’d rather be. The way you look at me—with joy, mischief, excitement, or pure annoyance—each expression so entirely you.

And then, there’s the way you greet me, as if two minutes apart was an eternity. Your joy knows no bounds, and neither does the comfort you bring. On tough days, you’re there. On happy days, you’re there. Through heartbreak, hesitation, anticipation, and sorrow—you are always there.

You’ve taught me to cherish the simple things, to never take a single day for granted. And as the years have passed, as you’ve grown older, you’ve shown me just how fleeting time really is. You’ve made me painfully aware of your mortality, and with it, the aching truth that when your time comes to go, so too will much of what brings me joy.

I owe you more than I can ever say. They say a dog is just a small part of their human’s world, while their human is their whole world—but I don’t believe that. You have been my entire world since the day I met each of you. Every part of my life has shifted to make space for you, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

There will never be enough time spent curled up with you on the sofa or on the rug you’ve ruined and I’ve cleaned a thousand times. Because even the smallest moments—the quiet, ordinary ones—have captured my heart completely.

Forever yours, with all my love, your momma.

More to come. x