07/29/2026
let me preface this by saying frankie is the healthiest 13 year old i’ve ever met and she isn’t going anywhere any time soon. but with that being said, I can’t deny that she is in fact 13. she’s slowing down, she can’t hear much, her sight isn’t much better. she sleeps in a diaper most nights. she can’t go up/down full flights of stairs the way she used to. but I know it’s normal wear and tear and visible proof of a long active life full of trips, adventures and physical activities. she started with her first 8 years of greeting my clients upstairs, walking them downstairs (usually with a toy) and then back upstairs. then the next 5 years she’s getting on planes to come back and forth to work with me to greet most of those same clients (but now we’re ground level😁). i try so hard not to focus on what i’m gonna do when she’s not here anymore but it’s really hard, because I know it’s our inevitable future. I just can’t picture it. I don’t even remember what it’s like to work without frankie next to me. I don’t know what it’s like to fly to NY alone, do 2 weeks worth of people alone, leave in the dark and walk to my car alone. what will I do with my down time between clients when she’s not there? will I keep her bed next to my station forever? what will I do when the day comes and every client that walks in for their first frankie-less appt says “where’s frankie?!” im gonna lose it, and honestly, i’m scared. it’s the only thing that scares me, and the only thing that brings me some peace is knowing that my clients will get it. and they’re gonna let me cry lol. they’re the only ones who have been in that hair room with me, for the last 13 years, witnessing the complete enmeshment that’s developed between frankie and I. my life wouldn’t be the same without her, my business wouldn’t be the same without her, my work wouldn’t be the same without her. I try to stay present and live in the moment with her but I can’t help but prematurely grieve a life that I know won’t last forever. but for now, she’s here. she’s healthy. she’s still right next to my chair. and i’m so grateful for the clients who’ve been around long enough to witness our story💖