I Cried Today.

The text came out of nowhere.

The words are heavy.
Weighted down with exhaustion and guilt.

I knew it was coming eventually.
But I didn’t expect it to be at 7:35 p.m. on a Sunday night, while I was stretched out in the sun, soaking up one of those rare golden evenings while winter is at the doorstep.

Patti procrastinated long enough, but it was time. Fides move would happen tomorrow.

When Fides Arrived

Fides didn’t come into our home with grace and gratitude.

She arrived against her will, and she made sure everyone knew it—especially Patti, her care partner.

I’ll never forget her sitting in the recliner, face scrunched tight, throwing Patti the universal “I hate it here” gesture.
Yes, that one. Hand to throat. Dramatic slash.

If you’re going to send a message, you might as well make it Broadway-level obvious, right?

She was furious.

All she wanted was to be home.
The place that felt safe.
The place where her memories lived in every corner.

But the truth was harder.

That house wasn’t safe anymore.

Poor nutrition had whittled her down to 64 pounds.
Stacks of unopened mail blurred into piles of laundry.
Food rotted in corners.
Hoarding had quietly begun.

And then came the breaking point.

An animal infestation in the garage.

That’s when Patti knew.
It was time.

When “Temporary” Turns Into Something Else

Over time, something shifted.

Two weeks in, she asked the question.
The big one.

“Can I stay? Can I stay… forever?”

And just like that, everything changed.

At HolistiCare Homes, she blossomed.

She gained strength—up to 88 pounds and thriving.
She joined every activity.
She laughed with her whole face.
She shared her dry humor at exactly the right moments.

She doted on Caesar, my four-legged sidekick, never forgetting to sneak him treats.

She was alive again.

And Now

Tomorrow, she leaves.

This place is her home.

It’s a painful repeat of what happened two years ago.

Patti—steadfast through all of this—has worked tirelessly to find the best next step. I know Fides will be okay. I know she’ll thrive.

But our little corner of the world won’t be the same without her.

And I’ll miss her.
Dearly.

Here’s the Thing About Change

Change rarely shows up neatly scheduled.

It doesn’t wait until you feel ready.

It barges in on Sunday nights at 7:35 p.m.
It presses in when you’re finally comfortable, stretched out in the sun.
It comes when you least want it to.

So let me ask you something worth sitting with:

Where in your life do you know change is coming… even if you’re not ready to say it out loud yet?

Write down one small action you can take this week to be a little more ready for this change.

Before You Go

Here is a place to begin—without urgency or overwhelm—

👉 Start with the Care Readiness Checklist
One place to start. A calmer way to think ahead.

And if you feel connected to this story, stay close.
These are the conversations we’ll keep having—one honest story at a time.