Russell
Date of Passing: 08/29/2025
Message to Russell: Russell, my sweet man. It's so hard for me to write this, but I know you're in a much better place and back to your old antics. I never knew that such a small creature could take such an outsized role in both my life and my heart. You have been there with me through everything; 8 apartments, 4 serious relationships, 2 firings, 1 career change, a pandemic, the deaths of my dad, uncle, and other relatives over the years. Through all of it, you were always there for me to lean on, talk to, dance with, worry about, and god knows be frustrated at. There were days where I didn't know if I could make it and you always helped make things more bearable, even as you were making my life harder. I wouldn't change a single day of it for the world (except maybe that time you ate that corn cob). Now that you're gone, my days feel less bright, my world feels smaller, and my heart feels like it's missing a massive piece. While I miss the clicking of your nails on the wood floor, your snores when you're really conked out, and your kisses when I get home from work, I will not let memories of you be accompanied by sadness, but rather gratitude that they happened. I only hope that I did as much for you in your life as you did for me. Every time I left the house, I made a promise to you that I would always come back. That promise is still true, and some day I will come back for you once again. Until then, be a good boy and remember everything I taught you. I will never, ever forget you or stop loving you.
Tell us about Russell: We shouldn't even have been in each others' lives, by rights. My girlfriend at the time wanted a dog but didn't live in an apartment that allowed them and I did. We knew it had to be a small dog, so I said if we had to get a small dog, it at least had to be a SMART small dog. Boy, did I get more than i bargained for. After you briefly went with her to live in Nashville, we were reunited and inseparable from then on. Everywhere we went, you were a total heart melter; we had our disagreements behind closed doors, but we both were always good about making it up to each other. It's going to be hard to not see my used towel from showering disappearing around the corner, but I promise I'll keep leaving them on the floor in your honor.