The Little Things: The Remarkable Legacy of Tank

The Eterneva team is committed to sharing real stories that help celebrate the remarkable lives of loved ones who have passed and have started their new journey as a memorial diamond. These real stories are here to help connect one another, spark joy, inspire gratitude, and move us forward together.

We sat down with Dani to understand more about her journey turning her beloved dog Tank’s ashes into a sparkly blue diamond ring.

One of the things Dani always wanted to do with Tank was to have pictures with him on her wedding day, and unfortunately life didn’t happen the way she had planned it. While she didn't get that opportunity with him, she can now wear Tank’s memorial diamond ring to still share her special day with him.

The Remarkable Legacy of Tank

Tank was a chill French Bull dog who let everything roll off his shoulders. He was never aggressive and didn’t growl once in his life. He loved everybody.

He would eat all the treats he could find and get all of the scratches he could swindle from anyone and everyone. Tank was always down for a good time and loved meeting new people.

“I would refer to him as my partner in crime because we went everywhere together and did everything together.” - Dani

Tank loved kids. Dani used to joke that Tank just liked kids because they smell like cookies and he wants some treats. But in reality, he simply loved kids and had no problem with them pulling on his ears.

Dani and Tank loved going on car rides together. There was a beautiful loop where they used to live in Florida where they could just drive through beautiful scenery with the ocean and lakes.

“We would just hop in the car, put the windows down in my Jeep Wrangler… And yeah, I just loved it being able to just look over on him and he'd look back at me and give us little grunts and snorts of appreciation.” - Dani

While Tank wasn’t a big fan of the water at the beach, he did love to walk around the sand, sniff all of the good smells, and roast like a little potato as he sunbathed.

The Little Things

While there were many things Tank did that Dani remembers fondly, the one that always stuck out was how Tank could enunciate “I want it.” His ability to speak was one of the many reasons why Dani found a deep connection with her furry partner in crime.

It all started when Dani was at her dad’s house eating ice cream and she mockingly asked him “Oh, do you want it?” It’s true that Tank, in fact, wanted the ice cream. He responded “I want it.” 

Needless to say, everyone was surprised that Tank had just spoken words. After that, Dani worked with Tank to repeat the words that he learned to speak on his own. Since that special moment, Tank has shocked plenty of Dani’s friends as he repeats just how much he wants whatever they have.

Dani misses the little things about Tank. She misses his snores and soft fur. At night when they would go to bed, he would curl up in the crook of her arm and put his head right right next to her and sleep like that all night.

“Having him there and just snuggling him, he was just like a little teddy bear. And I do miss that a lot.” - Dani

Celebrating Tank As A Forever Diamond

Tank was an amazing companion and when it came time to honor his life, Dani had a hard time finding something appealing. Then, one day, one of her friends had mentioned that she was thinking about having her pet turned into a diamond. Dani knew this was exactly what she wanted to remember her sweet boy.

“This is how I want to remember my Tank. This is timeless. It'll be with me forever. And it's not just something that's going to sit in a box on your shelf. It's something that you can show off. And when people tell you how beautiful your diamond is, you get to share that story with them and you get to share. Oh yeah. This is actually this is my dog. Let me tell you about it. And it's just it's such a nice way to memorialize, memorialize someone that meant so much to you.” - Dani

Dani now looks forward to when she gets married where she can wear her ring and still have Tank with her on her special day.

“When they delivered it to me, I ran to the front door and the guy that was delivering, they even said to me, Well, I've never had someone run to me towards a package before, and I was like, I don't think you understand what you have.

I was so excited to get it. I opened it up. I cried happy tears. And at that moment, I knew that it was 100 percent worth having him turned into a diamond because it felt like I had him back home with me again.

He wasn't just put on a shelf and forgotten about. He's going to be something that I wear every day and every day I look down I can smile and remember all those great times that we had together. So it's just so nice getting him home.” - Dani

Why a blue diamond?

If you enjoy serendipity, you’ll enjoy this part of Dani and Tank’s story.

“I decided to go with a blue diamond for Tank because I wanted it to stand out from any other diamond rings that I had. It's very traditional that you have a white diamond ring. So I wanted to go with something different, so it stood out. 

And then coincidentally enough, I didn't realize it one day until my mom pointed it out… I have a tattoo of Tank on my ankle and it's just a silhouette. It's a very simple tattoo. It's just a black French bulldog. I had put a giant diamond on his collar just to be like, kind of artsy at the time. And everybody was always like, Why did you put a diamond on your dog's collar? Well, because he's fancy and he needs a big diamond like that. 

Low and behold, the diamond on the tattoo is actually blue. So I have a blue diamond with Tank on my ankle, and it was something I had never even considered until it was pointed out to me, and it was very serendipitous.” -Dani

A Path Forward

For the right reasons, Dani believes Tank was what everybody should strive to be. He knew how to not take life so seriously, enjoy people's company, enjoy food, and not put so much pressure on oneself. 

He was a simple man who enjoyed the simple things in life.

If Tank could share with people reading this, Dani thinks he would tell you that he'd like all the snacks, please, and some really good, but scratches. Yeah. He was always about food and any attention that anybody would give him.

Dani has learned a lot from having such a deep connection with a pet like Tank that she wishes to pass on to others who may be also grieving the loss of a pet.

"I would want to tell people that pet grief is a real thing. It is not something to be diminished just because It was not a human being. Pets are so important to us, and they truly are such big parts of our lives that when you lose a pet, it truly is like losing a family member. And if you need time to grieve, grieve.

No one needs to tell you how to grieve or when you should be done grieving. It is your own personal journey, and I don't really say it gets easier. I mean, I think of Tank every day. I miss him every day.

Moving forward with the grief

Losing a pet can feel like a chapter of life is ending, but it doesn’t mean the story ends.

“I still cry about him and wishing that he was around. But I think it's important that we celebrate what they brought to our lives and not just focusing on the grief of missing them. So celebrate that… hey, I had 14 years with him. I was so fortunate we had so much fun together.

Having your best friend made into a diamond. I mean, there is nothing that can be more special than that. Like I said, you can look down and see that sparkling diamond in the sun and smile to yourself and be like, Hey, he's still here.

I was so fortunate to have such awesome memories with him, and now I get to share that with everybody when they compliment me on my beautiful diamond. So, yeah, don't hesitate. Don't feel like it's extra. If it's important to you, just do it.”

What are your little things?

We're on a mission to change a culture around death, grief, and remembrance at Eterneva. We believe the little things shared with a loved one are some of the most important and impactful treasures in life. We want to help you find solace on your grieving journey by embracing the little things you shared with your loved one that left a lasting impression.

And for those who aren’t on a grieving journey, this is for you too! Who are the most precious people in your life and what are their little things? Through loss we learn about life. So how can you learn from Hope and Dustin’s remarkable love to practice presence and gratitude the next time your loved one slurps their coffee or has their silly quirk?

Join us by sharing “that one time they...” or “I remember how they would…” about your loved ones. We can't wait to hear just how special your loved one is to you and the little things that have made a big impact on your life. We want to share your favorite “little things” about your loved ones, so please share on Instagram with the hashtag #TLTeterneva for a chance to be featured on our account!