one rainy june evening in 2019 i met with a realtor in a cozy coffee shop in a neighbourhood i was obsessed with.
i had decided that it was finally time to stop moving around – to put down roots & buy a house.
harley’s house.
that’s the name my mama & i had been calling my future home, even before i had any idea of what i wanted or where i wanted to be.
for over a decade, Harley had been my constant companion. that sweet bully baby moved coast to coast with me.
apartments, condos, hotels, big three bedroom houses & tiny cramped basement suites.
sixteen homes in total & she was always such a good girl. never destroyed anything or acted out. never barked her head off, annoying our many neighbours.
she was a perfect baby & all i wanted to give her was a big backyard of her own that we didn’t leave after six months. something permanent. for both of us.
and that’s the only direction i gave my realtor – i want this certain neighbourhood, with a big backyard for the dog.
well two weeks into our search, Harley was diagnosed with cancer.
as mama drove me home from the vet, i held her collar to my chest, crying over the fact that i never got her the house that she so deserved.
even right now it weighs heavy on my heart that i couldn’t give that to her. she gave me everything & i wanted to do the same for her.
now, just over a year later, i’ve officially moved into my very first house i’ve bought all by myself.
the first thing i did when i got the keys was walk into the backyard & cry.
i wish she was here to see this.
but there are already pictures of her up everywhere & she has a special spot in the living room where she’s watching over me & Poppy – the bully mix i rescued last fall.
and that’s what harl’s house has become… a sanctuary where i can rescue & adopt other bully breed dogs in her honour & in her memory.
a place where i can continue to write afternoons with harley.
a home where i can celebrate how far i’ve come & work towards everything i want in the future.
so today, i’m raising a glass & welcoming you to harl’s house.
xxoo, k
Congratulations!! I am so happy for you. You have fulfilled part of your dream and your beloved Harley is with you and Poppy. The healing continues…cheers!!!
thank you so much 🙂 my heart does feel better when i watch Poppy race around the house – even though she crashed right through a screen door haha!!
Congratulations Kahla! I’m really enjoying following your journey to healing. I love your positive attitude even when you hurt so bad and struggled to get through that hurt. I hate that you were so betrayed and treated so badly but love watching you rise from those ashes. Thank you for sharing your struggles and accomplishments.
thank you for reading – & for always being so kind & supportive 🙂
I will give you 2 “amen’s and 1 allehulla” then raise a glass of wine with you.
A big congratulations KAE
thank you!! this is definitely something i will be celebrating for a long time 🙂