In the latest issue of Texas Monthly, executive editor Mimi Swartz shares a personal history of her upbringing in San Antonio, and her surprise at feeling homesick for the place after decades away in Houston. It’s the latest in a series of introspective essays she’s written alongside her deeply reported feature stories.

This week, State of Mind features another of Mimi’s family stories, told with her signature wit and candor. It’s about her family and her family’s pets, and how they cared for one another through times of heartbreak.

This story was first published in the April 2019 issue of Texas Monthly. Next week on State of Mind, listen for Mike Hall and his story of marking the end of an era in Austin music on the last day at the legendary Liberty Lunch.

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