Wolfie’s Wish, Ollie’s Bucket List, and the Quiet Work of Letting Go

Grief often begins long before the goodbye.

A few months ago, I was invited onto the Wolfie’s Wish podcast. It was just a short teaser conversation, with plans to return for a full length interview. Even in that brief time, I was reminded why Wolfie’s Wish has become such an important space for people who are navigating pet loss: they make room for grief in all its forms, raw, anticipatory, and complicated.

Wolfie’s Wish offers tools to support that process, including beautifully designed Pet Loss Grieving Cards and Anticipatory Loss Cards for those who, like me with Ollie, are preparing for the goodbye long before it comes. These cards give you tangible, gentle prompts that help you process emotions in a healthy way, whether you are in the thick of grief or slowly coming to terms with what is ahead.

When Ollie was nearing the end of his life, I leaned on projects and practices to guide me through. That is how his Bucket List was born. It was not about big, dramatic adventures, but about saying yes to joy. Yes to cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. Yes to paw prints pressed into glass. Yes to donuts, road trips, long walks, and sunny spots on the floor.

If you have followed me on Instagram or TikTok, you have seen pieces of this journey. Each bucket list moment was my way of celebrating him, of making sure our last months were filled not only with care but with delight. And, beneath all of it, I was doing the quiet work of letting go.

What has made Ollie’s loss feel different from Charlie’s is what I have discovered since then: animal communication. When Charlie died, I believed our relationship ended with his last breath. The grief was sharp and absolute, and I felt like I had been severed from him completely. With Ollie, I know now that is not the case. The connection does not disappear. It shifts. It becomes quieter, more subtle, but no less real.

That knowing has made this goodbye softer, though not easy. The ache is still there, but it is threaded with a deeper trust. I know Ollie will continue to reach me in ways I may not expect. I know our bond is ongoing, even if it looks different now.

Grief is not just the sharp moment of loss. It is also the rehearsal for absence. The memorizing of details. The small, invisible acts of preparing your heart to live with a new kind of presence. Ollie’s Bucket List softened that process for me. It gave me a way to hold joy in one hand and grief in the other.

Now, as I prepare to return to the Wolfie’s Wish podcast for a deeper conversation, I know I will be able to speak not just about loss, but about the love that continues. About how the relationship does not end. About how we can keep saying yes to life, even in the shadow of goodbye.

If you are navigating the same terrain, anticipatory loss, fresh grief, or the quiet ache that lingers years later, I encourage you to explore Wolfie’s Wish. Their resources are created for exactly these moments, to remind you that you do not have to do this alone.

You can visit through this link or use the promo code Ollie25 for 25% off.

Because love does not end when they leave. And neither does the bond. We just have to learn new ways to hold it.