We’ve all heard the childhood rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But the truth is, words do hurt and sometimes, the things we carry hurt even more. Somewhere between the sticks we chase and the stones we carry, there’s a lesson about letting go, forgiving, and finding peace. Spice, as always, was my best teacher in that.
Some Sticks Are for Fetching, Not Fighting
There’s a photo I love of the sun shining warm on our faces as Spice and I play tug-of-war with a stick. Her growl was low and playful, her eyes sparkling like she knew exactly what she was doing. In that moment, I realized something: not every tug in life is meant to be a battle. Spice didn’t want to win. She wanted to connect.
Why Dogs Don’t Dwell on Throwers: When I threw the stick, she didn’t question my motives. She didn’t wonder why I’d let it go or if I’d throw it again. She just ran, trusting joy would meet her somewhere in the chase.
Some of us spend years analyzing every “throw” life hands us. But dogs don’t dwell on throwers. They chase what brings them joy and leave behind what doesn’t.
Letting Go of What Doesn’t Bring You Back Joy
Another photo shows Spice, eyes locked on the stick in my hand, ready to pounce the second I moved. That fierce joy in her reminded me how life always offers us another throw and another chance to try again, to laugh again, to run again.
But sometimes, we keep chasing sticks that don’t bring us joy anymore, perhaps out of habit, or hope, or fear of stopping.
Spice taught me that some sticks are for fetching… but others are meant to be dropped.
When the World Throws Stones, Find Your Field of Grass
At the lake one summer, Spice dragged a stick nearly twice her size out of the water. Fifty throws later, she was still splashing, paddling, determined to bring it back. Watching her, I saw more than just play. I saw persistence with peace.
Water doesn’t fight the stone. It shapes it. It flows around it, softens it, transforms it.
Maybe when the world throws us stones, the answer isn’t to throw them back. It’s to find our own field of grass, a place where we can breathe again and remember who we are.
The Stones We Carry
There’s a photo of Spice lying by the shore, surrounded by smooth rocks in what i refer to as my “Stonehenge” photo. She wasn’t fetching or swimming that day. Just resting. The water lapped gently around her, and for once, she wasn’t chasing or carrying anything.
I remember thinking how peaceful she looked surrounded by stones, but untouched by their weight.
We all have stones we carry: words that cut, mistakes we regret, moments that hardened us. But maybe healing begins when we learn to rest among them without letting them define us.
The Art of Returning Every Throw with Joy
One of my favorite memories is of Spice watching the stick mid-air, her whole body alive with anticipation. Whether she caught it or missed it, she always returned to me with her tail wagging, heart open, joy intact.
Even when life throws things that sting, there’s grace in returning with love instead of resentment. Dogs do that instinctively. Humans are still learning.
Spice Never Broke — She Bounced Back
Through every challenge, illness, fear, or change Spice never stayed down for long. She’d shake off the water, shake off the dirt, and return ready for the next adventure.
That’s what resilience looks like: not pretending the throw didn’t hurt, but choosing to come back anyway.
She didn’t let the world’s “stones” harden her. She let love make her soft again.
Love Is the Only Thing Worth Fetching Again and Again
In one of my favorite photos, Spice dives into the lake, swimming straight through the spray of a fountain to retrieve her stick. It didn’t matter how far or how deep I threw it. She trusted that love was always waiting when she returned.
That’s what love does. It sends us out brave, and welcomes us back whole.
Spice’s Lesson: Carry Love, Not the Weight of Words
And then, my favorite photo of all: Spice asleep in her bed, surrounded by her toys, her “treasures.” After every adventure, she rested easy. No grudges. No heavy stones. Just peace.
Maybe that’s the secret to life: not holding onto the words that hurt, but carrying the love that heals.
Final Reflection
Spice never recited the nursery rhyme, but she lived its truth: “Sticks and stones may break my bones…” yes, but they also built my heart back stronger.
Because when love leads the throw, and forgiveness carries the return, even the heaviest stones begin to feel light. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what she wanted me to remember all along: Some sticks are for chasing. Some stones are for learning. But love? Love is for carrying.
Spice may have crossed the rainbow bridge, but her lessons linger like sunlight: soft, steady, and full of grace. If she could whisper one last truth, I think it would be this: Don’t carry what breaks you. Chase what brings you back home to love.
Thank you for reading and remembering her with me. If this story touched your heart, I’d love for you to share it with someone who might need a little reminder to fetch joy, not grudges.
With love and light,
Julie & Spice
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