My Promise To Toshi

I have spent many hours reflecting on my relationship with our dog Toshi, whom we had to put down recently, and the same question that keeps coming up is: What is it about dogs that makes it so heartbreaking to let them go?

The morning after we said goodbye to Toshi, I went out on our regular six am walk so I could try to feel what it was that he brought to our nine-year morning routine.

This is what I noticed. With every step he took, every street corner he stopped at so I could catch up and make sure it was safe to cross, and every time he convinced me to start chasing him when he found the perfect stick, I was, unconditionally, helping him live his best life and in return, he never shamed blamed, or criticised how I did it.

The reward for the exchange of unconditional love between each other when we walked back in the door an hour later was pure fulfillment.

Every day, when Toshi and I left the house, I had the opportunity to fulfill my promise to him, to help him live his best life. Did I do it perfectly every day? No. Did I enjoy it every day? No. Did I show up for him every day? Yes.

So why is it heartbreaking to lose your dog? It means losing the opportunity to not only receive unconditional love but also to give it and earn that one thing everyone wishes they had more of when their time is up: pure fulfillment.

When we Lead With Purpose, we do it unconditionally to make life a little better for someone else, give unconditionally and earn pure fulfillment.