11/07/2026
Today was supposed to be Pepper’s 5th birthday ❤️
Instead, she’ll be forever four.
I still can’t believe I’m writing those words. I thought time would make this easier, but it hasn’t. It has simply taught me how to live with the pain.
What hurts the most is how unexpected it all was. While Pepper was in surgery, I was sitting there writing the post I thought I’d be sharing with all of you. I wrote that the surgery had gone well. That we were on our way home. That everything was okay.
That post is still sitting in my drafts. I never got to publish it.
Nobody expected what happened next. Her surgery was considered low risk, but every surgery carries a risk, no matter how small.
Sometimes I still catch myself thinking she’s just asleep somewhere in the house. Then reality hits all over again.
Pepper brought so much happiness into our lives. She made millions of people smile, helped raise money for Ukraine, and somehow managed to make the world feel a little kinder just by existing.
It feels so unfair that someone so tiny, who brought so much love into this world, had so little time in it.
Today I’ll be sharing some of my favorite memories of Pepper. Let’s remember our sweet little girl and the beautiful life she lived. She may be gone, but the love she left behind never will be ❤️
If you’d like to honor Pepper today, you can donate any amount to our current fundraiser for charging stations for our defenders. The links are in our bio.
Rick and Pepper are still helping Ukraine from the Rainbow Bridge, while Hopper and Joyce proudly carry on their legacy.
Happy Birthday, my beautiful girl 🥹
Even though I can no longer hold you in my arms, I’ll carry you in my heart for the rest of my life ❤️
