Katherine Hatch

Dolly’s death is breaking hearts, pushing on other griefs inside of us, needing to join in. Many of us are drawn to grief’s invitation to take part in this communal loss of such a feisty, sparkly, warm-hearted being in these unwieldy times.

February 20th came, and there was a moment...maybe even three that day...when the heaviness of my grief shifted. It seemed to fade, and I couldn't quite place it. Lately, that heaviness had been showing up right below my heart, then shifting into my stomach, rotating between those two residences. It had become a familiar character.

The animal folk have always shown us the way. If you've ever lived with a dog during a difficult season, you know they have an uncanny ability to sense when something shifts in the household. They feel the tension, the sadness, the weight of what we're carrying—even when we think we're hiding it well.