Angelica Sturm

English 12 Period 3

Ms. Acosta

Sept. 28, 2021

Girls Best Friend

Everything that happens in your life is for a reason, and for me getting him was my

reason of happiness. It all started when my mother told me that we were going to go to the park

near my house for a surprise. My five year old self kept asking her why are we going here or

what are we doing. The drive was not long and soon we arrived at the bright green field where

we saw a couple and two golden retriever puppies. They were glowing, like little angels sent

from Heaven, they were running around so carefree. My parents and I get out of the car and greet

the couple and the dogs. As you could imagine any five year old would be ecstatic to see two

golden retriever puppies. My parents and the other couple talked, meanwhile I sat on the grass

where I could see the two dogs playing with each other. As I sit there pondering this conclusion I

would have to make my mom come up to me and ask, “Which one do you like, Angelica?”

“I love this one, he reminds me of an airbuddy. Plus the other one is mean, it's picking on him

and biting him,” I said unknowingly that this dog would forever be life changing.

Since 2008 that is when my parents agreed and we took this new male dog to our house. I

vividly remember him having a long blue leash and us trying to walk him on the way to the car.

We open the doors to which you find a cage with a dog bed and a few toys, he is lifted in and the

cage locks and we are all set to go home finally. He slept the whole way home, and when we

arrived we had to give him an awakening to our new house. He was greeted by a loving family

and a cat which is where he would call home for the rest of his life. Now comes the hard part
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when it comes to getting a puppy. It's finding them the perfect name. Now I could not tell you

why but we named him Friday. Yes, like the day. This was the best name we felt fit him and it's

pretty unique for this special family member.

As the months went by it was just Friday growing up with me and our family. I remember

how eventually we didn't have him sleep in the crate and he began to sleep with me or my

brother, Jacob. Cuddling with a soft dog on your own bed with the warmth of each other's body

heat is so peaceful. Eventually nights went by and he got better and better at sleeping with me, so

I brought up the idea of getting rid of the cage.

“Do you think we even need the cage for Friday anymore, it's not even like he sleeps in it,” I had

said to my parents.

“Well, I mean we can put it outside for emergencies I guess,” my mom had said, looking to my

dad for approval.

“Yes I agree, it's kind of just in the way now,” he had said.

The next couple months go by and it's all really just all the same. We get into the same

routines of feeding, letting him out, playing, going on walks. You get the idea. When you have a

dog, just like humans, they get in your routine. We would take him with us just about to any

place we could since he just turned out to be a well trained dog. He listens when he's called, he's

not too hyper when it comes to meeting other people, he's perfect. I liked to play with Friday the

most as I felt it was important to connect and spend time with him because I always had the

thought in the back of my mind of when he would pass. This would make me sad so I really tried

to cherish the times I had. Whenever I go outside I take him with me. Him and I are actually very

alike in the sense that we both like to sunbathe. So on a sunny day you could usually find us
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outside together laying in the hot illuminating sun. I do not understand why he likes being warm

but like I said we both like sunbathing and being hot I guess.

To put a turn to things we had gotten another dog in 2011 This is when I started giving

Friday less attention and focusing more on our new dog Bella. I would take her on walks with

me instead of Friday since she could go farther. She was a new better version of Friday however

I started to realize I was spending less and less time with Friday. I tried to take both of them on

walks after school or just on the weekends. I wanted to spend time with the both of them together

but I realized they were at two different points in their lives one was older and the other one

acted as if she was still a puppy. As I grew up and was in high school was really when him and I

were starting to grow apart. My door would always be closed which led to him learning to open

the door to be with me. This was a moment of realization for me, he had to be with me no matter

where I was.

As time went by he started to age, the gray hairs staring on his snout and slowly growing

all over his head and in his back. He resembles a silverback gorilla with golden intertwined in his

fur. This was him moving on with his life and this is when I noticed he was getting old. One day

he could not jump up on the bed anymore, he would try and then he would fall back down. It just

seemed that his back legs could not launch him high enough. This was heartbreaking honestly, it

felt like someone just punched my stomach. I felt so bad knowing that he is aging and that he

would not be able to do the same old things he used to be able to. Now when he gets up it takes

him a hard time. He slips on the floor when he gets too excited, and I feel terrible. He tries his

best and he ever gives up but it's upsetting in the sense that he's not the same as how he used to

be.
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Now it seems as if this whole story was about Friday but really it was about me. Seeing

him grow up through phases really showed me that life really does go by incredibly fast. It is

important to recognize that and really appreciate everything. For example, like Christmas, not

only is it about my family and receiving and getting presents, it is about the time you spend with

one another. Friday has really helped me learn to take the time and love things. He has helped me

realize so much in life and although his time has not yet come. I know in the end he would want

me to continue to remember these things and love him and thank him. I would not want him to

be sad that he's leaving but to know he did his absolute best and I loved him to the very end even

if he was a little irritating to live with. I would miss the way he jiggles the door handle trying to

come into my room to see me and be with me. Or just the way he would move the same way I

was trying to walk past him. This dog has meant the entire world to not only me but my family.

He has truly been the best thing that has happened to me.