Buddies
My dog, Dexter, passed away on Saturday morning.
To say that my family is mourning his loss is an understatement.
We lost him,
We lost a piece of our family,
We lost a piece of ourselves.
For the past 12 years, Dexter was by my side for my life's major milestones,
Including starting the Few Will Hunt community.
(He actually sat next to me on my couch while I designed our first logo!)
Instead of telling you stories of Dexter's awesomeness,
(Like how he owned a non-profit in his younger years!)
I want to share the two powerful ways he lived,
Because they apply to us humans, too.
1. He gave first, and he gave more than he received… every day.
Whether it was a wag, a lick, a paw, or a bump,
Dexter always gave first to set a tone of joy and love in the room.
In the end, it wasn't his non-profit, his mistakes, or his toys...
It was what he gave to others— our family and strangers—
That is his legacy.
His giving is why everyone will remember him forever.
Often, we humans think that our "things" are what make us, outlast us, and, ultimately, define our lives.
Truth is, it's not what we have, but what we gave—
In service to others—
That is our lasting legacy.
2. He lived every moment as if he could never live it again.
After he created joy and love in a moment, Dexter lived in it like it was his last.
It didn't matter what it was.
A greeting, a walk, a meal, a pee—
There was no past, no future.
There was only the present—
And his unrelenting pursuit of making the moment matter for those there with him.
Often we humans live our days mainly in the past and future, focusing on what we didn't do, what we did, what we will do, or what we will not do...
But what about right now?
What about what we are doing at this very moment?
Truth is, the present is all we have and all we can control.
It's the thing that's deserving of our best thoughts, best choices, and best effort... all of our best.
Look, we can learn from Dexter—
And I hope his life touches your life as it did mine.
One more thing...
In many ways, I needed to send this e-mail to you today to get back to being me,
So thank you so much for opening it and reading it.
You helped me today. Know that.
With eternal gratitude,
Joey
P.S.
If you've got a story about your good boy or girl, you're welcome to reply and share it with me, and I'll share one with you about Dexter in return.
We'll trade tales about the times that only they can give us.
Have a great day.
To say that my family is mourning his loss is an understatement.
We lost him,
We lost a piece of our family,
We lost a piece of ourselves.
For the past 12 years, Dexter was by my side for my life's major milestones,
Including starting the Few Will Hunt community.
(He actually sat next to me on my couch while I designed our first logo!)
Instead of telling you stories of Dexter's awesomeness,
(Like how he owned a non-profit in his younger years!)
I want to share the two powerful ways he lived,
Because they apply to us humans, too.
1. He gave first, and he gave more than he received… every day.
Whether it was a wag, a lick, a paw, or a bump,
Dexter always gave first to set a tone of joy and love in the room.
In the end, it wasn't his non-profit, his mistakes, or his toys...
It was what he gave to others— our family and strangers—
That is his legacy.
His giving is why everyone will remember him forever.
Often, we humans think that our "things" are what make us, outlast us, and, ultimately, define our lives.
Truth is, it's not what we have, but what we gave—
In service to others—
That is our lasting legacy.
2. He lived every moment as if he could never live it again.
After he created joy and love in a moment, Dexter lived in it like it was his last.
It didn't matter what it was.
A greeting, a walk, a meal, a pee—
There was no past, no future.
There was only the present—
And his unrelenting pursuit of making the moment matter for those there with him.
Often we humans live our days mainly in the past and future, focusing on what we didn't do, what we did, what we will do, or what we will not do...
But what about right now?
What about what we are doing at this very moment?
Truth is, the present is all we have and all we can control.
It's the thing that's deserving of our best thoughts, best choices, and best effort... all of our best.
Look, we can learn from Dexter—
And I hope his life touches your life as it did mine.
One more thing...
In many ways, I needed to send this e-mail to you today to get back to being me,
So thank you so much for opening it and reading it.
You helped me today. Know that.
With eternal gratitude,
Joey
P.S.
If you've got a story about your good boy or girl, you're welcome to reply and share it with me, and I'll share one with you about Dexter in return.
We'll trade tales about the times that only they can give us.
Have a great day.
