How my Dog Helped me to Love Life Again

How my dog taught me to love myself again

As I pull my t-shirt over my head, the sinking feeling drops to the pit of stomach and makes itself comfortable. I look in the mirror and tilt my head left, then right as if changing the direction would recalibrate the way my body looked in my jeans. The thought of walking down the street to grab a coffee was daunting. How many people were going to stare at me? How many people would be thinking about how much I weighed or how I looked? Judging me. I would instantly rip the clothing off, sling back on my pajamas, and hurl my body back to bed, wallowing in my own self-pity and fears. My anxiety would always get the best of me, and it would always be near impossible not to give in to those little voices telling me I shouldn’t leave to go for something as simple as a walk.

Enter Sully.

That big bundle of golden fur flying everywhere as he jumps up on shoulders and snuggles his enormous head into my neck. For the first time, I knew that someone really needed me, and I needed to be my best self for him. So, I started going on walks again. This time, however, I had my companion and my protector with me. Walking with Sully felt like going into a battlefield with the most impressive shield ever made. Nobody was judging me or staring at my body, they were focused on his beautiful coat and how sweet he was. With him by my side, walks became a daily occurrence and something I had grown to look forward to each morning and night.

Every day, Sully’s sweet face makes me get out of bed and get active, trying to keep up with his unbridled energy. His positivity is contagious, and you can’t help but laugh and smile all day with him. I find that I have more energy and I am enjoying being back in nature again. I have gone for hikes through the woods, swam in lakes, and climbed hills all because of Sully and his eagerness to explore. Having Sully with me has given new purpose to everyday and has made me feel the love for myself that I hadn’t felt in years.

I am now proud of my body, the way that it moves and plays with Sully and how it keeps up with my happy and excited puppy. This would not have been possible without him; he keeps me wanting to be active and to continue to explore. He has also helped so much with my anxiety. No matter what kind of day I have had, I know that I can rely on him to be there at the door to greet me, to hear about my day and to sit with me while I unwind. He is there from the moment I wake up to the second I fall asleep, and he does it all with an unconditional love that only an animal can give.

Animals do not judge us based on appearance, on our intelligence, the amount of money we have, or the degrees strung up on our walls. They only want to love and ask for only love in return. We truly do not deserve dogs. They are so kind and they help us through more problems than we could ever ask for.

I am so grateful to my golden doodle, Sully, and all he has helped me through in this ever-changing world. I know that I can always face tomorrow with my golden best friend by my side.