Faith

We met on an early January morning, I was thirteen and you were one. It was love at first sight! You were walking down the street and I was waiting to go to school. I saw you were alone and called for you, you came running, and jumped right into my lap which was pretty hilarious considering your size, you never did figure out that you were a big dog. You covered me in kisses, and we became instant best friends. Noah came out and was initially terrified of you, he ran away screaming only to return with a pork chop as a peace offering to convince you not "eat him" (his words). I took you inside to introduce you to mom, who was less then pleased. She said we couldn't keep you, that you were too big and too hyper to live in an apartment. We all knew she was bluffing. We tried to find where you came from we put up signs all over the neighborhood, but no one ever claimed you. I knew all along you came to find me, we were meant to be together.

I named you Faith, because I had a lot of that at the time, and I wanted to always be able to "Walk with Faith" although you tended to drag me rather then walk. Everyday for the first few weeks you'd be in the car when I got out of school, sitting there waiting for me, you'd go crazy when you saw me approaching. When mom started leaving you at home, you always greeted me at the door, then knocked me over as soon as you had the chance. If I was at home, you were always by my side, you sat between my feet at the kitchen table, slept by my bed and always woke me up with surprise kisses. You made a lot of messes, mom didn't like that so much. You chewed up everything in sight the first couple years, especially my shoes! You knocked over the trash cans, tore up and and all paper you could find and would pull down the curtains in the dining room all the time. You drove mom crazy, she complained all the time but I know she loved you too, I'd catch her petting you and giving you treats and talking to you when she thought no one was looking. When mom and me would I would argue which happened all the time, you would stand in front of me and bark at her, you always were my protector. You loved to chase Noah all around the yard, he adored you. Every Christmas he would buy you tons of bones and chew toys. At family dinners you sat under the table waiting for scraps, we weren't supposed to feed you at the table, but everyone did anyway. 

When we moved into the house you got your own backyard, it was pretty big and exciting but you still managed to get out and go on several adventures by yourself, but you always came back home. Mom really started spoiling you here she fed you the craziest things, just dog food was never good enough for you. You also discovered your love of digging at the new house, mom would give you a big ham bone and you would run out in the yard and bury it. You were always so careful to make sure we weren't watching where you hid your treats! Then you'd dig it up and bring it back in the house covered in dirt and grass. After a couple years in the house Noah brought home a little tiny kitten. At the time I thought it was a terrible idea, we couldn't possibly keep a kitten in the house, you would for sure eat it. It worked out though, we somehow convinced you that Kip wasn't a snack and that you were absolutely under no circumstances allowed to eat her. She surprisingly was never afraid of you, she loved chasing your tail and jumping off the couch onto your back. You would grumbled at her but never did anything other then give her a big kiss. You became buddies, and would play and chase each other around the house, it was pretty adorable. You loved pretty much everyone you met, and most people loved you back.. 

When I moved away for a year I was really sad that I didn't get to take you with me, but every time I came home to visit you were always ridiculously excited to see me, you made my moving back home a lot easier. Then a little over a year ago we moved into our own apartment! You, Kip and me it was the happiest time of my life. You made friends with all the neighbors and their pets. Mom came over to visit you, and so did lots of my friends you got so much love and attention in our little apartment! The best part was walks to the park, you loved them more then anything else I will miss them greatly.

We had so much fun together you always knew how to make me smile. You sat with me when I cried, and were always there when I needed you. You were the happiest dog in the world you made my life so much brighter just by existing in it. I loved the way you greeted me at the door when I got home, and the way you were the last thing I saw at night and the first thing I saw in the morning. 

 Saying goodbye to you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I don't know what I'll do without you. I'll miss you waking me up in the morning, I'll miss how excited you'd get when I picked up your leash, I'll miss seeing you asleep under the kitchen table, I'll miss everything about you. Thank you for all the happiness, smiles and laughs you brought to my life, for the twelve and a half wonderful years of  unconditional love. You made my heart so much bigger, without you now it's just not whole. I know you are having a blast up in heaven, I hope you have more cookies and toys then you know what to do with. I'll never forget you or any of the wonderful times we had! I love and miss you so much my sweet girl, you've got a big piece of my heart take care of it for me until we are together again.