Robin’s Last Walk: Cherishing His Final Days

Hey everybody,

It’s been a tough week here at Shane Smith Law—or really, just at my house. I think I mentioned in my newsletter a week or two ago that we brought my son’s dog, Robin, home from college. He had been having a rough time with a lot of anxiety and stress, and he just wasn’t doing well. On top of that, we started noticing he was stumbling around a lot and having some coordination issues, which had us really concerned.

After bringing him home, we took him to the vet, where they found some neurological issues and a tumor. We hoped that medication might help, and we tried everything we could, but unfortunately, it wasn’t working. This weekend, we lost Robin, which was incredibly hard for our family, especially for my son Sam, and for Noah as well. It’s never easy losing a pet—they’re family.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the kindness and support we’ve received, and we’re truly grateful for all the thoughts and prayers that have come our way. One thing that brings us a little bit of peace is knowing that Sam was able to come home and spend some time with Robin before we lost him. We got to see him have a really good day on Friday, and he even seemed like his old self for a bit. Saturday morning, I took him for a walk down by the lake, and he was in good spirits, sniffing around and just enjoying being outside. I’m really thankful for that moment before everything changed.

That was the biggest thing going on for us last week, and honestly, it made for a pretty tough Valentine’s Day. I hope everybody else had a great one, but Holly and I didn’t really celebrate this year. We were just feeling down, knowing what was coming, and it just didn’t feel right to do anything big.

Before all of that, I had spent the week in Charlotte. As I’ve mentioned before, when I’m there, I stay in a little Airbnb that’s got a gym and free parking, which is a pretty nice setup. Just like last time, the first thing I did when I got there was head to the grocery store to pick up food for the week so I could eat healthy and stick to my workout plan. It’s always tempting to just grab something quick and easy, but I’ve found that meal prepping while I’m traveling helps me stay on track.

It was great being in the Charlotte office and seeing everybody face-to-face. There’s something about in-person interactions that you just don’t get over Zoom or email. Even if we’re handling the same work, the conversations feel different, and it’s always good to connect.

One thing that caught me off guard while I was there was the weather. The week before, it had been warm—almost like spring was right around the corner. Then, suddenly, the temperature dropped, and it got bitterly cold and super windy. It was such a drastic change, and it just reminded me how unpredictable the weather can be. One day, you’re thinking about breaking out the short sleeves, and the next, you’re bundled up like it’s the middle of winter.

I came back home on Thursday, and Sam hitched a ride with me from Charlotte, which worked out perfectly with everything going on with Robin.

Meanwhile, back at home, Holly had to deal with a whole different kind of problem—squirrels in the house. We’ve had issues with them before, and we thought we had taken care of it, but apparently, when we got a new roof, the roofers didn’t reinstall the guards that block the squirrels from getting back in. So, they found their way in again.

Holly called in the critter removal folks to come out and seal everything up. They were supposed to get most of it done on Wednesday, but the weather was awful—cold and rainy—which made things pretty miserable for them. After about two or three hours, they came to Holly and said, “Look, we’re going to have to reschedule. It’s just too cold and wet, and honestly, we’re worried about slipping and falling off the ladder.” I don’t know if they were actually afraid of falling, but honestly, I don’t blame them. It was miserable outside. I was surprised they even lasted as long as they did.

They came back on Thursday and got everything squared away. Hopefully, they did a good job this time because Holly said she saw the squirrels outside looking in the windows like, “Dude, you changed the locks on us.” That made me laugh, but I really do hope this is the last time we have to deal with them. It’s such a hassle, and I’d rather not go through it again anytime soon.

Like I said earlier, Holly and I didn’t really do much for Valentine’s Day this year, but even in a tough week, we managed to keep one of our little traditions alive.

For years, we’ve avoided going out to eat on Valentine’s Day because the restaurants are always packed. It just doesn’t feel enjoyable when you’re crammed into a crowded space, waiting forever for a table, and dealing with all the noise. Plus, over the years, my allergies have made it harder for me to eat out as often, so it’s just easier to stay in.

Last year, I got Holly some small bunny figurines for Valentine’s Day and hid them around the house for her to find. She had a lot of fun with it, so this year, I decided to do it again. Before she woke up, I hid them in different spots around the house.

She had a great time hunting them down—except for one spot. She sent me a picture of a bunny sitting in the blender and said, “This is terrible. Don’t hide any bunnies here again.” I guess that was a little too weird for her! It’s not like we use the blender that often, but I’ll be sure to find some better hiding places next year.

So that’s been our week—some highs, some lows, and a lot of emotions in between.

Thank you again to everyone who reached out about Robin. It really does mean a lot to us. And to everyone else, I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day, even if ours was a little more low-key this year.

As always—if you are in pain, call Shane!