I feel like pet loss is fucking up Xillenials and millenials a lil bit extra b/c its such a painful concrete stamp on the passage of time We've been told to wait for our chance at success and contentment our whole lives. Now we're approaching or in our 40's and were still being told to wait.

My 2yo puppy had a cancer scare for about two months a little bit ago and I had never been so brutally depressed before in my life. He's literally the only good thing I've had happen to me in the past five years and I was ready to end it all if he passed

As a 40 + now, i think i made up my mind about the mirage of waiting the chance at success. I decided a new approch where contentment comes from the thing i have achieved rather that what i could achieve. Family, relationship, routine or selfish art lol, enjoying the present rather that hoping smth

In our youth it was "wait till you're adults then you can do what you want" as young adults it was "wait till you're in your 30's for a stable income/career" in our 30's its "wait till your parents are dead then you can have a house and roots" now we are in our middle years with what to show for it?

Whoever told you to wait was an idiot...yes, there are points later in life where you'll (ideally because it's not guaranteed) figure out things like who you are and how to be more comfortable with who that is but contentment and success are all about what you set for yourself.

losing my dog of 13 years a month ago marked a very hollow scope of my adulthood...with so little to show for all that hard work because a lot of abuse or economic issues took so many chances away. at least my dog was a huge part of getting through that but..god yeah you're absolutely right

thanks for this. when i lost a childhood pet recently the most surprising part of my emotional reaction was "We should have been somewhere else by the time this happened"