A Letter Written from One Kahu, to the Next
This letter was written for the future Kahu of somebody's pet.
You may not know their name yet. You haven’t heard the sound of their paws padding across your floor, or felt the warmth of them curled up at your feet. You don’t yet know the quirky things they do, or how it feels to find that they’ve been waiting for you to come home. You don’t really know this little soul and all they will bring to your world. But if you’re reading this, then you’ve already chosen them …or you’re close to it.
I want you to know something, dear friend; this little soul has been my whole world. They’ve been with me through the happiest of times, while sometimes they were the reason for the happiest times. They’ve sat beside me in silence when I had nothing left to say. They’ve reminded me, without asking for anything in return, what it means to love fully, and to be present.
How I wish I could be present forever… but alas, I cannot stay. Even as I write this, my body is slowly beginning to shut down. How strange death is: we’ve never done it before, we don’t know what comes after (if anything at all), and yet our bodies know how to do it. I am trusting the process. But damn, it’s hard to say goodbye.
What gives me peace is knowing that you are waiting to wrap this little soul up in your love—and that your love is an intentional choice.
You’re not just taking in a pet. You’re inheriting a relationship. A bond. A thread that began with me and continues with you. I wish I knew how to express my gratitude, but I doubt I will ever be able to thank you properly. I don’t think there are enough words in the world to do my appreciation for you justice. But to know this little soul will continue to know warmth and love and respect gives me permission I didn’t know I needed.
You are the next Kahu; the next person who will hold my memory, my history with this little soul, and offer reverence to all that this little soul has to offer. You don’t know how lucky you are, yet…but you will.
Thank you for becoming The Next Kahu.