I was eight years old when I met my best friend. It was after school, when I was in third grade, and I was welcomed home by a small bundle of joy–and sleepiness. I have always been a dog person, and when my parents told me we could get any dog I wanted, I knew exactly what dog I wanted. I knew I wanted a golden retriever who would run around and swim with me and snuggle forever. We had found our dream dog; all he needed was a name. So my sister and I sat down and decided on the perfect name for our perfect dog – being big movie fans, we decided to name him after our favorite movie franchise, Indiana Jones, or Indy for short.
Since that fateful day after school when I saw my dream dog Indy, I knew we were going to be best friends. Every day after I came home from school we would go for a walk to our favorite park and finish the day off hanging out in our backyard. He and I grew up together. He has watched me grow up from eight to eighteen and has been there for every big moment in my life. From every first day of school, to spending every day together in lockdown, to my high school graduation, to sending me off to college, and everything in between. Â
When I needed someone to talk to and rant to, Indy was my go-to. He was a great listener, as you can imagine. He did not like to sleep on my bed, so every night he slept outside my door waiting for me to wake up so we could start our day all over again. As he has gotten older, our routine has changed a bit. Our walks have gotten shorter and we do not run around as much, but the love and friendship are still there. He will be turning 13 this coming December. I often get sad knowing that he is getting older and I do not get to see him as much, but I know every chance I get with him will feel like no time has passed at all.
Indy and I through the years: