Woman's wholesome reason for never painting a particular stair in her home leaves the internet in tears

Treasured memories of our late loved ones are a way of reminding us that we shared precious time with them. It holds true for pet parents too. After all, humans get to spend only a few years of their lives with their furry companions. Many families who lost their pets find solace in looking at their pictures or holding something of theirs dearly. This woman shared one such thing that she preserved in memory of her dog and it went viral on social media. Shari Blivin–who goes by @shariblivin on TikTok–posted a wholesome video on the first anniversary of her dog's death and so far it gained over 15 million views. 

In the video, Blivin showed the stairs in her home, which seemed to require a refinish. With repetitive use, the brown paint on the stairs was worn off. Moreover, there was one particular step that looked different from others. "This is his step. He would even sleep here," said Blivin, revealing the step that was worn out the most belonged to her late pet dog, Max. She told the world that it had been one year since Max "went to forever sleep" on that step, laying his head on her lap. Blivin shared some adorable pictures of her furry friend sleeping on that particular stair, leaving a very obvious imprint.

The pet parent revealed that though she painted her entire staircase black, she left Max's spot untouched. "I do love them," said Blivin about the new look of the stairs and pointing to Max's step, she said, "But I just could not bear the thought of covering that up." She not only left his step unpainted but also added a little label to it that said, "MAX. 08-31-10 - 01-20-23." Blivin said, "So now, it's forever his," paying a beautiful tribute to Max. Despite leaving the physical world, Max lives in his family's heart and home in the form of memories.

Receiving more than 26K comments, this heartwarming video got people on the internet teary-eyed. "I don't know you, but you have earned a small corner in my heart. Sorry for your loss," commented @khatoon_123. A user @readandriot suggested, "Please tell me you put a clear coat over his step!!! Then you won’t lose his shape," and Blivin replied, "Yes! Absolutely! And I will continue to do so so it never fades!" Another user @vp8103 shared about their tribute to their pet, "Baby girl ruined a wall at home, I got so mad at the moment and now that she is gone…I don't plan on fixing it ever."

Yet another pet parent's tribute to his furry companion was shared by Devon City Council (@DevonCC) on X (previously Twitter) last year and it touched thousands of hearts. A box of tennis balls was left on the Exmouth beach in Devon by a pet parent for other dogs to pick one and play on the beach. The box had a picture of Rex, the pooch, along with a note that said, "The goodest of good boys. Rex loved the beach. Rex loved the ball. Please feel free to take a ball for your dog and I hope you all enjoy this place as much as we did. Rex, sleep well, my ginger prince."