December 12, 2025

My beloved Spartacus,

Three months have passed since you slipped softly into the divine light, yet your absence still hums through my days like a tender, unhealed note. There are moments when the quiet feels too large, moments when your name rises in my chest before I even know I am calling you. The void you left is deep and carved with love. But within that space, your memory glows like a small eternal flame, guiding me forward when the world feels dim.

Your mantras—those silent teachings you carried in your paws and your eyes—have taken root in my heart: “Walk daily and stay fit.” “Stay loyal to your truth- follow your own bliss.” and “Greet life with wonder, even when weary.”

You taught me all of this without ever saying a word. Now these lessons move with me, comforting me, strengthening me, reminding me that the best parts of who I am were shaped by walking beside you.

In your honor, I created a foundation for animal welfare in your name- Spartacus Foundation, Inc, a living tribute to your spirit. Each creature we will help, each small life we will soothe, feels like we will be sending a blessing back to you. It is your compassion breathing through my hands. I hope you see it from where you now roam—your tail high, your eyes shining with the same joy and pride you always showed when you knew you’d done something good.

Sparty, I must tell you something that sits very close to my heart:

Little Zephyrus has come into my life—your breed, your lineage, your echo. Not to take your place, for no soul ever could. He is not a substitute but a living tribute to you, a continuation of the love you gifted me. When I look into his eyes, I see a sparkle of your gentleness. When he curls at my feet, I feel a familiar warmth. He reminds me not of what I lost, but of all the love that still flows because of you.

I keep myself busy in ways that keep your spirit near—writing my weekly inspirations, pouring into words the courage and wisdom you taught me; reading transformative books that help me understand the heart more deeply; and walking the same paths we once wandered together. On those walks, I sometimes pause just to feel the wind, and in that stillness, I sense you—your steady rhythm, your faithful presence, your joy in simply being alive.

If your spirit can hear these words drifting upward, let them reach you gently.

Let them bring you peace.

Let them remind you that you were, and still are, a blessing in my life.

Run free, my dearest Spartacus— in fields where light never fades, where every breeze carries love, and where you are held by the universe with the same tenderness you once gave me.

Forever loved.

Forever missed.

Forever mine.

Dad…