Mirell Rivera Salls Mirell Rivera Salls

🐾 My Ride or Die: Muu’s Story

I prayed for him years before he came into my life.
I didn’t know when or how, but I knew there was a dog meant for me; a soul that would somehow become family.

Then, days before finding him, I had a dream.
In it, I was calling out, “Muu, Muu!”
He was a fluffy black-and-white dog running toward me; so full of joy, so alive.
When I woke up, I couldn’t shake that feeling.
The next day, I went looking for him… and found him.
And just like that, he became mine; my Muu.

From that moment, he’s been my ride or die.
The one who’s moved with me across countries, who’s lived every chapter of my story right beside me.
He’s been through my jogging seasons, my heartbreaks, my moves, my babies, my rebuilds.

He held my tears when I left for Chicago.
He was there when my babies were born; every time, knowing something sacred was happening.
He took his new role seriously ; the guardian of the littles.
And even now, at 13, that’s still his job.

He was there when divorce came, when everything broke and it was just Muu and me.
We healed together.
He saw me rise up from being glitter; shattered into pieces, but still shining, because somehow I never lost the light within me.
He’s been my best cuddle buddy when I’m happy, sad, pregnant, or just needing a movie night.

Now, as he grows older, things are changing.
He’s slowing down. His eyesight isn’t the same. His health has its ups and downs.
But he’s still my baby; my firstborn.
The one who taught me what it means to care for someone who can’t care for themselves.
He taught me responsibility, consistency, and unconditional love; the kind that doesn’t need words, just presence.

Watching him grow old has been one of the most beautiful and painful experiences.
Bittersweet in every way.
My heart aches knowing he won’t be here forever, even though I pray for it every day — “Please, God, let him stay just a little longer.”

Recently, we took him to the beach for the first time.
Thirteen years later, it was his first swim in the ocean.
He loved it; the waves, the sand, the sun.
And of course, he kept swimming back to me.
Always to me.
His mama; the one he’s been attached to by a string that runs straight from his heart to mine.

Dogs are such a gift.
They love without judgment, forgive instantly, and bring pure joy with every wag of their tail.
We could all learn from them; to live simply, to love deeply, and to find happiness in the small things.

I pray that in the time Muu has left, we can give him at least a fraction of the love he’s given us.
Because truthfully, he has given me more than I ever knew I needed.

He’s been with me through every transition; every version of me.
And when I look at him now, I see more than a dog.
I see the constant that held me when everything else changed.
I see the answered prayer I didn’t even know how to ask for.

Thank you, Muu, for being my first baby, my shadow, my comfort, my ride or die.
You’ve been one of God’s sweetest gifts to my heart. 🐾

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