Nola rae

2011 - 2025

Yesterday, I said goodbye to my best friend—my constant companion for 16 unforgettable years. Nola Rae was more than a dog. She was my heart, my shadow, and my sanctuary during some of the darkest, hardest years of my life.

I was just 14 when she came into my world, wide-eyed and unsure, and she was there as I grew up, stumbled, fought through pain, and slowly became who I am today. Through every heartbreak, every hard night, every quiet moment when I needed someone to simply be—Nola was there. She never needed words. Her presence alone was comfort enough. Loyal, intuitive, and endlessly patient, she loved without conditions.

Nola Rae saw me through things no one else could have understood. She curled up beside me when the world felt too heavy and celebrated my joys with a happy tail and bright eyes. Her love was steady in a world that so often felt unstable.

Now, the silence feels heavier. The absence of her paws on the floor, her familiar sigh as she laid her head down—those small things are already echoing in the empty spaces of my heart. But I know that she left this world having given every bit of her love, and having been so deeply loved in return.

Nola Rae, thank you—for growing up with me, for protecting me, for helping me survive, and for teaching me what unconditional love truly means. You were my once-in-a-lifetime dog, and no number of years would ever have been enough.

I’ll carry you with me always.

Rest easy, sweet girl.
You were so, so good.