Dear Ellie

“I was gravitated to you, like the moon and earth.”

-Colton Lord, EntrepRNooer

I have never known a being so selfless; you graced me with your presence on that warm 2015 summer day in Flagstaff. I had no business assuming care of another living creature, yet I was gravitated to you, like the moon and earth. The twelve vulnerable little souls crawling around, and only you approached the stranger in the room: me. 9 weeks young, nowhere to call home for 9 weeks of life, fighting for survival, yet you found a safe harbor in me.

You have walked with me through my darkest days; how did you carry that weight without crumbling? Remember the nights, alone in our apartment, where I would lie on the floor speaking to the wind, crippled by heartbreak? Remember the 10 different places you’ve had to call home and adjust your routine? Remember the days where our house was bustling with company, never a moment alone? How about the time spent apart; the months visiting you, hoping you never thought I left you to a new home without me, forever.

Together we have hiked the mountains of Flagstaff, ran the beaches of Rhode Island, driven through the midwestern plains, walked the city of Boston, camped deep in the woods of Alpine, climbed the rocks and swam the creeks of Sedona, weathered the heat of the Arizona desert, and trudged through the New England snow. My little adventure pup.

Through the trials and tribulations, the rises and falls, the relationships started and ended, the boxes packed and unpacked, you remained constant. You remained my only steadiness in a world full of constant change. I can’t even fathom a world without you, my Ellie. Although I know our paths will eventually part, I will never let go of the impact you have made. You will forever live inside of my soul, Ellie.

As we ventured from west to east, it was you, me, and the highway. 3000 miles separated from our home, and graceful you remained, ready to comfort me along the way. Somehow I knew, looking into your eyes, that it would all be okay. 8 years later, from the mountain tops to the city lights, constant you remain.

Love, Dad