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“Dogs have boundless enthusiasm but no sense of shame.
I should have a dog as a life coach.”
– Moby
This email is a little self-indulgent but I’d like to share something with you
I’ve written before about our family dog, Sparky, who had anxiety separation whenever he lost sight of my wife, Judy.
Unfortunately for us, he came to the end of his journey on this planet last Friday. It was clear he was really struggling and he took a bad turn in the early hours of Friday morning.
So we made the decision as a family to send him to sleep.
If you’ve ever had a dog you really loved, I’m sure you know how tough that is.
But we were very lucky that because of the pandemic, instead of travelling a different location, the vet came to our home and administered the procedure (all while maintaining social distance).
And she was brilliant in the way she spoke to the kids and us, giving comfort and providing a beautiful runway for Sparky to leave earth and move to a higher plane – all while he lay in the arms of Judy – his favourite place on earth.
Growing up I’ve had to say good-bye to dogs before, but this guy was something special.
We took him in from a rescue centre 3 months before the birth of our first child, Jane. He was a blend of a yorkie and a terrier – and had the personality to match his name. At times, with the way he interacted, it was as if he was talking to you.
I wasn’t the alpha to Sparky – Judy was. And as a result he’d often treat me like a competitive team mate in the pack – vying for the attention of his adored leader.
He was a great example of the pun in this quote:
“Dog is God spelled backward.”
Dogs are pack animals. They thrive in a family.
They fight to protect the tribe.
They love unconditionally, and never hold your mood against you.
They comfort when you least expect it.
They help remind you of the better person inside you.
They distract you from your thoughts to bring you into the moment.
Into life. Because that’s where they are most of the time.
Plenty of life and leadership lessons to be learned from dogs.
Have a great week,
Best,
Shane
