First of all, let me tell you, I’ve been a cat person my entire life. I’ve always loved snuggling up on the couch with a cat on a rainy day, coming home to tabby meows as soon as I open the door. I have had a total of 6 cats over the course of my life— family cats in my childhood, and now two of my own. I never really thought I would be a dog owner, if I’m being honest with myself. And then I met my husband— who has major golden retriever energy— and I couldn’t imagine my life without a dog to keep him company.

So here we are in 2023, with a 10-week old long-haired miniature Daschund named Ember. She is the sweetest, smallest little thing you could ever imagine and man, is she teaching me a few things. First of all, I didn’t realize how true it was that dogs NEED you in a way that cats don’t. Sure, my cats are chatty and needy for attention sometimes, but it’s always on their terms, and never when they’re not interested. So maybe a few hours a day I would get kitty snuggles. Now, I have a little shadow following me around the entire day, it’s almost comical how she is never not under my feet. And if she isn’t, she’s likely doing something she shouldn’t be doing.

This is a very unique time in my life where I'm 31 and settling into married life. I’ve had some re-evaluating to do when it comes to what makes me happy, what habits are unhealthy and how I can keep my life full of as many little joys as possible. I would be lying if I said this year had been easy for me— it’s been of one of the hardest years for me in terms of mental health. I wish I could say why that is, but I think it’s just a perfect storm of a lot of things; working from home for too many years and being really isolated, feeling disconnected from myself and what I want for my life and career. So getting a dog was definitely part of the equation for how to make sure I always had a little companion, and let me tell you, she has really started to change things for me.

Depression is a weird beast in that it is so all consuming, sometimes it’s hard to snap out of it and see anything else— other people or their struggles included. And for me, getting Ember has made me have to fully care for and be responsible for this little creature’s well-being. It has snapped me out of a funk in a way I didn’t think it could. She is so so little and I am the one with her all day— training her, caring for her, making sure she has all the crucial new experiences she needs to be a well-rounded dog. It’s a lot of responsibility and can be overwhelming at times, but more than that, I think it’s given me a sense of purpose I was looking for.

Now, I’m careful not to pin all my hopes on recovering from my various mental struggles on this little puppy. I’m still trying to build my life back up so that I have a foundation of support, love and joy around me. But let me tell you, she is a big big part of that.