Grief and Loss of a Pet

My essay “I Hated Cooking and Then I Had to Cook For My Dog” is up today at The Ascent on Medium.

It’s a tribute to Hana, my brat terrier, who I had to put down on May 27, 2019. It was the worst day of my life. This essay helped me work through my grief and connect with her. I felt her with me as I wrote it.

I attribute my joy for cooking to her and that’s what this essay is about. How a non-chef like me was forced to learn to cook when Hana suddenly couldn’t digest commercial dog food. How my own health required a gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free diet, something that is best accomplished through homemade meals. I discovered a love of cooking and I owe it all to Hana.

To read the essay in full, go to The Ascent: