As I reminisced of Rosco earlier today, a friend told me a story of her beautiful brindle boxer’s passing. She said, “I’ll never get another dog again!”

As she told the story she talked about the pain of losing her beloved boxer, and how she never intended on getting another dog. Many years and two dogs later, she now tells this story.

I find this statement so interesting. Mostly how different people have different perspectives.

For me, losing Daisy and then Rosco in a little over a year was hard. They were my boded pair for over a decade. My first babies.

I couldn’t imagine life without them and then they were just … Gone.

But here is what wasn’t gone. The memories, the videos, the pictures, our bond with them, and our love for them.

Sure, physically they weren’t here but all I wanted was to memorialize them. To keep those memories close and to give back, for them. And each endure a special journey in their time with us.

For Daisy – she was my rescue, so I volunteered my time fostering. We fostered a mill mama and 2 puppies, don’t ask – lol. And then we adopted and rescued Mama, for my Daisy!

And for Rosco – he endured a disease I wish upon no-one, Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). So for him, I volunteered my time for Tyson’s Wonder Wheels 4 Boxers. I help put dogs like Rosco in wheelchairs.

Thinking about it, I never thought ‘I’ll never get another dog again’. I would endure all the pain over again to experience the pure joy they brought into our lives.

Perspectives. They come from experiences. And they come in all forms. Meet people where they are and you learn more, not only about them, but yourself in the process.

P.S. The beautiful boxer pictured is my rescued mill Mama. The sweetest thing considering what she has endured. And I am cherishing EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT!