Dear Pup,
Thank you for always being there for me, even when no one else understood or listened. Thank you for never judging me and always listening to my problems. For the countless walks we’ve gone on to clear my head and for trying to run with me when I was training for a marathon (I’m still sorry about that one).
Whenever I shed even the smallest tear, I can hear your feet racing through the house to try to find me. You’re not a lap dog, but you want to be in that moment. You want to get as close as possible to me to take away the pain, and for that I am forever grateful. You understood how sad we were when your four-legged sister died, and you played the perfect balance of mourning and happiness, encouraging us to see the next day, even though we were heartbroken.
Thank you for being understanding when we brought you home a little German Shepard sister a year later. And thank you for being the very best role model for her. Thank you for never sitting on or eating the cats when I know you could any time you wanted and for allowing them to sleep on your favorite spot on the couch.
Thank you for protecting our family from anyone that would try to come within a 100-yard radius of our house and, of course, for protecting us from the countless squirrels and blowing leaf attacks we face on a daily basis.
Thank you for the countless hours I have spent laughing because of you and all of the strength training I have received due to throwing your toy across the yard for you every morning. Thank you for wagging your tail from your bed every single morning when I walk downstairs and for sitting with me while I drink my coffee.
Thank you for being the most excited member of the family to see me every time I get home from college and for never failing to bring me your favorite toy upon my arrival. Thank you for never forgetting me, even though I probably seem to disappear from your life for months at a time for no good reason.
Thank you for never telling my secrets or all of the times I broke curfew in high school because you know them all.
Thank you for being my dog, someone to do life with, and above all,
Thank you for being my best friend.