A is for April #AtoZChallenge

Good morning! April Fools! Happy Easter! Happy Passover!

I'm tired just thinking about it.

My first post for the blogging from A to Z April Challenge #AtoZChallenge, led by the folks at www.a-to-zchallenge.com , is "A is for April".  'cause, what ELSE would A be for?

April is my second favorite month of the year. July is my favorite. April SHOULD be my favorite, since my birthday is this month (the 21st, if you want to, you know, tell me "happy birthday" or anything like that).

My father and I had the same birthday, as many of you already know. He was born in 1918, and therefore, this April 21 he would be.... 100 years old!! In honor of his 100th birthday, I am finally releasing volume three of his World War II letters. Stay tuned for the big announcement the week of April 15th.

Don't forget to file your taxes ha ha.

The days following my birthday are difficult. My father died on April 27th (1987) at a young 69 years old. This makes our birthday week bittersweet. And, my dog, Hobie, died on April 25th, three years ago. So, not an easy week for me because of all the memories.

Grief has no timeline, and anniversaries always tend to bring the grief up to the surface. It's not raw anymore, but it is melancholic.

And that's a great segue to announce my new avocation. By the end of April, I will be a certified Pet Loss Grief Mentor! What does that mean? A mentor walks the journey with a person who has lost a pet and is grieving. A mentor is not a counselor, therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist or leader of a support group. A mentor is a good listener, and will support you and work with you to experience the grief process. So, stay tuned for more about that in the coming weeks.

Until then, stay safe and none of this was an April Fool's joke!

Thanks for reading!!

Cooper and Petey have formed quite the bond!

Charlie Brown and Petey -- I'm not sure if this is a bond, but they tolerate each other!

Brothers Cooper and Charlie Brown