The Week Without Hazel

Hi my friend,

Sometimes life can feel cruel.
With its twisted paths and turns…
That push you to go where you 
wouldn’t choose to set 
your foot.

Where things happen
without a reason or cause.
Just because.

And your heart breaks into
a million little pieces.
Aching.

Well, 
that’s been my week.

Because this week…
our beloved baby cat Hazel
passed away.

Crushing me deeply.
Throwing me back into
the pain of grief.

A place I know well.
And yet… it still hurts.

And the hardest part of it all
is that it’s not just my own pain
I have to hold…

But that I have to be 
strong enough to tend to 
my children’s sorrow too.

So I cry…
and I cuddle them
in their anguish.

But as much 
as it hurts right now,
I know this won’t 
last forever.

Because 
nothing lasts forever…
even the pain.

There will be a day
when thinking of her
will bring me joy.

Not today.
But someday.

Until then,
I’ll just hold my dear ones close
and love them as fiercely 
as I can.

So if your heart is aching too,
know that you’re not alone.
I am walking this journey
with you.


With love,
Elina

My darling Hazel, 2025