Happy birthday little man!
Firstly, thank you for your patience with the business you inspired, but that now takes me away from you far more often than you’d like.
Thank you for protecting your little bro with your life, and for nose punching Dad for attention every time Brucie even sneezes.
And thank you for the opportunity to love another being like a mother lion. I didn’t know I had it in me til you and your one black ear came along.
Now, you know how we count suburban pup meal packs in sevens? Well, your seventh birthday milestone has stopped me in my tracks a bit buddy.
Because even though we’ve already talked about you living to 20 (Got it? Cool.), seven is halfway to an official tzu lifespan. And how do we even begin to reconcile that?!
…ok, so I’ve thought about it A LOT (of course), and I reckon a seventh birthday is as good a time as any for me to recommit to what’s important:
When it comes to time that money can buy:
I’ve read (ok, audio booked) The Slight Edge, and I KNOW the little decisions we make every day have monumental consequences in the long game.
So I will ALWAYS put your food first, because unlike a human kid, I am 100% responsible for what you eat FOR LIFE. And just through feeding you right morning and night, I can change your lifespan. You’re gonna be stuck by my side for quite a while, Vincey.
And the time that money can’t buy?
When you go (or hey, if I go first) I believe I will somehow cope ONLY if I can put my hand on my heavy heart and say ‘I could not have loved you more’.
And right now, that means putting my phone down more, throwing your toy one more time before bed each night, and way more impromptu romps on quiet beaches. Generally joining you more often in the ever-present state where you live. I know I could be better at that Vince.
Sometimes little dude, seven years seems like seven seconds, and yet I don’t even care to remember what I cared about before you.
So my gifts to you today are really just tokens of thanks for the loyalty, perspective and purpose you’ve gifted me.
Along with a wish that with the help of Suburban Pup, I might continue to spend the next 7+ years paying you back in wellness and longevity - and convenience that creates more fetch time than either of us can even imagine :)
Mum xo
Vin's dear little soul was so aptly captured here by Tails of Time.