You always snored.

I could hear you from my bedroom upstairs every night. You always sat at the very bottom in your floor bed, competing with my mother for who could snore the loudest.

Sometimes your paws would move, like you're chasing some cats in your dreams. Depending on how early it was, I'd walk down the stairs and pet you awake, just to make sure you were okay.

You ate half of my sock collection, I swear. One moment there would be a pair of socks lounging in my sneaker soles, and the next, my shoes would be empty! You always threw them up, which always made me wonder why you never learned a lesson from swallowing them in the first place.

I remember the day you had to get most of your teeth removed. No matter how much we cleaned them, they were rotting, and you had terrible breath. (Sorry to say it, Diamond, but you did.) So, we had to take you to get fifteen (or so) surgically removed. I immediately changed your name to "toothless" or "gummy," but that died quickly because I felt too bad.

You'd always make me feel better on my worst days. Tears or no tears, you'd wobble over to me. I'd sit on the floor with you and you'd rest your head in my lap. Come to think of it, you'd do that no matter how I was feeling. Maybe this whole memory is personifying you too much. I really don't care either way. This is who you were to me.

You were my best friend, my cuddle-buddy, my old toothless seal.

People always say that dogs are "man's best friend". Diamond, you were my proof. You were with me for seventeen years. You did not have to stay that long at all. But you fought for that.

You were sick when I was eight. You threw up everything, including blood, and we took you to the vet. They said they'd try everything they could in surgery, but there was no guarantee that you'd make it. But, you did! Following that, you had so many more years of life with us.

I'm a firm believer that everyone should have what we did. You were my right-hand pooch, and I would never change that. I do wish, however, that I could go back and relive those wonderful years with you. Those were the best years, and, now, I feel like there's always going to be something missing.

It's been almost three weeks without you, and it feels like it has been an eternity. I just fear for when I walk into our house this week and you're not there. I can feel the emptiness of our home drifting in from eighty miles away.

I can already hear people saying, "Oh my goodness, Abby, it's just a dog. Get over it."

But I'd have to oppose. You were my dog. Mine. You were there for me since Kindergarten, and you were with me through the biggest moments of my life so far. It just hurts to know that you won't be there for the future memories.

If you were here, this article would feel long-winded. You'd probably fall asleep halfway through me telling you this. But that's okay. Just know that there are no amount of words to express how much you meant to me, and how I'll carry your love and memory with me always.

You were my best girl. My old soul... and I'll never forget the life we shared.

Sincerely,

Abby (your extremely emotional owner)

P.S: Leave a spot for me up there, and I'll bring you a box of Milkbones.