Heartbroken kid wished for '3 more minutes' with late dog Spade. Santa's reply has us all in tears
Losing a pet is a heartbreaking experience that only people who have gone through it personally will understand. While the adults, somehow, move on in their lives, finding an efficient way to cope with the grief, the emotional baggage of the nightmare often destroys children from within. Likewise, Misha Griffis, a mother who goes by @misha.griffis on Instagram, experienced something similar when she saw what her elder son had requested from Santa as a Christmas present. The family had lost their beloved dog, Spade, a little over a month ago, and Griffis' son had simply asked Santa for "three more minutes" with him.
In a video, Griffis captured her boys' reaction to adorable Christmas gifts and a heartwarming letter written to them on behalf of Santa. The two young boys opened the letter, with excitement evident on their faces, only to get teary-eyed moments later. "I wish dearly that I could give you more time with Spade..." one of them read, while struggling to hold back his tears. To this, the younger child, understanding the sensitivity of the situation, took the letter from his brother and asked their mother to read it. "He [Spade] was a truly amazing dog, but I don't have the power to do that. Spade wanted me to give you each something to remind you of him," Griffis read, hinting at the gifts she had arranged for her kids.
The boys opened the gifts, only to find two of the same stuffed toys — one for each — resembling Spade, their family dog. The minute they saw the gift, both of them broke down in tears, revealing how much they missed Spade. Their other dog bounded into the room, possibly upon hearing the commotion. "Hey Kevin, wish you could have met him!" one of them says in the video, perhaps imagining how much their other family dog would've loved Spade. "This moment was so sad yet so special and meaningful. Dogs truly are family," Griffs wrote in the caption. Losing a dear four-legged companion can trigger mental health issues in children, claims a report by The Harvard Gazette, citing research by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
"One of the first major losses a child will encounter is likely to be the death of a pet, and the impact can be traumatic, especially when that pet feels like a member of the family. We found that this experience of pet death is often associated with elevated mental health symptoms in children," Katherine Crawford, a former official with the Center for Genomic Medicine at MGH, said.
Reacting to the video, @lisafrance commented, "So beautiful. Those young men have hearts of gold, proof that they are being raised right." @akiraquiles shared, "It's just incredible that you give them space to be vulnerable. We need more of this for all young boys. You must be a great parent. Grief is the price we pay for love." @reliena pointed out, "The whole video is special, but the moment when the younger brother realizes his brother isn’t going to be able to read it, puts his hand on his brother’s arm, and asks you to read it is so telling. They are and are going to be great people. Good job, parents."
Similarly, @capybaronni said, "The way the oldest son couldn't even finish reading the letter is proof of how much he felt at that moment." Another user who goes by @thepawtistics on Instagram commented, "Oh, those sweet babies. It is so hard to watch them hurt and know there is nothing that can take the pain away." You can watch Griffis' video here!
You can follow Misha Griffis (@misha.griffis) on Instagram for more dog-related content.