When Debbie Waffle started reading memoirs about people who were struggling, she never could have imagined that one day these people would become her lifeline.
Maybe their spouse had passed away leaving them to care for their young children. Maybe they developed a chronic illness that derailed their future. Or, maybe they were dealing with a mental illness. In the books Debbie read, these people showed courage and resilience. Their strength allowed the terrible thing that happened to lead them down a new path.
On September 28, 2022, Debbie’s own daughter, Kelsey, unexpectedly passed away, and Debbie wondered if she was strong enough to emulate all the people she’d read about. Just one week later, Debbie found herself sitting in a dog agility class with Kelsey’s golden retriever Brody. She thought — What am I doing here? But she already knew the answer.
The deep pain of losing a child never goes away. But in the metaphor about the “grief jar,” the space around the heartache eventually can grow. For Debbie, it’s Brody who helps counter her despondency as she focuses on Kelsey’s dream for him to become a therapy dog and give comfort to others in distress.
Midwest Book Review praises the book as, “Emotionally engaging and universal in experience… A deftly crafted memoir of love, loss, and bereavement.”
