🐾 The Moment I Knew Esther Was Meant for Me

Healing with Anna & Esther

Some moments settle into your heart so clearly that you can look back and remember every detail; the feeling in the room, the warmth in your chest, even the quiet sound of a puppy breathing against your ear. One of those moments happened for me in June 2024, the day I met the Saint Bernard who would change my life.

I thought I was simply going to look at the girl puppies.
But the truth is, one girl puppy was already looking for me.

🐶 “Just Looking” … Until I Saw Her

When my husband brought me to meet the litter, I immediately asked to see the female puppies. The breeder brought them over, and that’s when I noticed her; the largest female in the group, soft and steady, with a calm presence that made her stand out instantly.

While her sisters playfully tumbled around, she didn’t rush.
She simply looked at me with those dark, thoughtful eyes.

And I felt something shift.

June 2024 — the moment Esther picked me. At six weeks old, she curled into my arms and made the tiniest noise in my ear. I knew right then I was her mom.

💗 The Sound That Sealed It

I decided to pick her up, wanting to feel her close. As soon as she settled into my arms, she leaned in and made the softest little noise, half sigh, half puppy grumble, right in my ear.

It was such a tender, trusting sound that it melted something inside me.

Right then, without hesitation, I turned to the breeder and said:
“I want her. I want Esther.”

The breeder smiled gently and told me something I wasn’t ready for:
Because she was only six weeks old, I’d have to wait two more weeks before she could come home. She still needed to stay with her biological mother until she was fully weaned.

Two weeks felt like forever.
But I waited, preparing the house for her. I waited every single day until the moment I could finally bring her home.

🏡 The Ride Home: A New Beginning

When the day finally came to pick her up, everything felt surreal. I remember placing her in the car, watching her tiny body settle against the seat, knowing our life together was truly beginning.

Heading home for the very first time, Esther’s first car ride at eight weeks old

She snuggled her stuffed pup the whole way home, already showing that gentle, comforting spirit she still carries today.

Completely at peace. Esther slept most of the ride home, trusting that she was safe and loved

🐾 Home at Last

Bringing her inside for the first time felt like stepping into a new chapter; one I didn’t even know I’d been waiting for. She explored, sniffed, wiggled, and then curled right into me as if she had already memorized my heartbeat.

Home together; the beginning of our life-long bond and the first day of our journey as a team.

A Bond with Purpose That Was Always There

What I didn’t know that day—but see so clearly now—is that the tiny, calm, six-week-old puppy I chose would one day grow into a 165-pound Saint Bernard with a heart big enough to comfort others.

I didn’t know she would begin training to become a therapy dog.
I didn’t know our calling would lead us to work hard to learn to sit beside people in hospice, support grieving children, or want her to be a part of my work as a thanatology professional.

But her gentleness was there from the very beginning; before the training, before the certificates, before the future we are now building together.

That moment in June 2024 wasn’t just the start of a relationship.
It was the beginning of a calling shared between a woman and a Saint Bernard, who chose each other long before they understood why.

Anna & Esther: A Pet Therapy Team in the Making