The Last Ride: Saying Goodbye to My Best Friend

Some goodbyes are so heavy, they settle in your bones. This is the story of mine — and of LA MACE, my noble, four-legged companion, who gave me a lifetime of love in just a few precious years.

Mace wasn’t just a dog. He was my shadow, my confidant, my family. He had a heart bigger than his body and a soul that understood silence. Through life’s highs and lows, he stood by me with unwavering loyalty — never asking for more than a kind word and a gentle touch.

But cancer came for him. Quietly at first, then all at once. He began to suffer, and I saw the spark in his eyes slowly dim. No matter how strong he was, no matter how bravely he tried to stay with me, the pain became too much.

With a shattered heart, I made the most painful decision of my life — to let him go.

Before that final goodbye, we shared one last ride. Mace always loved car rides, head out the window, ears flapping in the wind. On this day, the sun was gentle, the air was soft, and time stood still. Just the two of us — as it had been for so long.

I told him everything I needed to say: Thank you, my sweet boy. Thank you for being noble, gentle, funny, protective. Thank you for loving us so completely. I held him as he fell into his final sleep — free of pain, free of fear, wrapped in love.

LA MACE, my MACERMOSO… you were the best dog I’ve ever had. My heart still reaches for you in the quiet moments. I will never forget you. You were, and always will be, my friend.

Run free now. Until we meet again.