What is the hardest thing about having a dog?
“What’s the hardest thing about having a dog?” they asked, in a casual tone, as if it was just another question.
I glanced at the worn leash hanging by the door, my chest tightening. “Let them go,” I said softly.
They frowned a little, waiting for me to explain. “They come into your life like they were meant to be there forever,” I say, trying to find the words. “They make everything better, simpler, brighter. And we think it will always be like that. But that's not the case. One day, they leave, and we find ourselves with all the space they occupied.”
They nodded, but I wasn't sure they understood. “It’s not the damage they caused or the routines we need to get rid of,” I continued. “It’s absence. We go into the house, and we feel like... it's bad. The silence is heavier. Mornings aren’t the same without them nudging you to wake up.”
“So why do it?” they asked, their voices softer this time.
I sighed, looking at my hands. “Because the love they give us is worth every moment of sorrow. They teach us to love without restraint, even when we know it will hurt in the end. And we continue to choose that love because we know it’s one of the best things we’ll ever feel.”
- R.M. Drake