Seven Small Rituals for Missing Him

After my dog died, I looked for something to do with the love that had nowhere to go. These are the small rituals that helped. None of them are rules. Take the ones that feel kind.

1. Say good morning anyway. Out loud, once, before coffee. It sounds strange for a week and then it does not.

2. Keep one walk. Not the longest one. The one you did together, at the same time, on the same path.

3. Make room in a photo. Frame one picture where he looked ridiculous. Joy is allowed to sit beside grief.

4. Give his blanket to someone who needs it. Not to erase him — to let the warmth keep moving.

5. Learn his name in another language. Whisper it. It is still his.

6. Let someone else tell you a story. Grief can make us insular. A community can hold what one person cannot.

7. Light one candle on his day. Then open the window. Let the day be both his and yours.