On April 28, 2015, I met my best friend for the first time. At the time, I didn't know exactly how big of an effect he would have on me, but when he walked up and sat at my feet, I knew it was him. Irony James came home with me on May 15th and has since changed my whole life.

As a full-time student who participates in a collegiate sport with a full time job, a dog probably wasn't the brightest idea, but..

I needed him.

I have felt alone my entire life. I have never had many friends nor have I wanted to talk to many people about my problems. After a while, this had a big effect on me. The depression set in and everything got worse. The stress of everything around me seemed to really hit home, and I felt that I had no one I could talk to. I had a couple of friends who would listen, but there was so much i didn't want to talk about for the fear of being judged.

Dogs cannot judge.

I can tell him anything I want without him telling anyone else. I can tell him my whole life, stay up late with him, cry with him, and simply be lying on the couch with him. He will not judge my ugly crying face or my ultimate laziness. That is why I love him.

Dogs love unconditionally.

I quickly learned that a dog loves you no matter the circumstances. As long as you feed them, play with them, and simply love them, they will return that love to you. I have lived my life regretting past decisions and constantly thinking that I am a terrible person; a dog does not see that. You might have to yell at them sometimes and I'm sure, like a kid, they wish they could say they hate you. But how long does that really last? A couple of seconds? They are quickly returning for kisses or belly rubs. That is why I love him.

Dogs are ALWAYS there.

Life is constantly full of friends turning their backs on you. It can be because of arguments, boys or even distance. A dog will never turn their back on you. I can be gone for an entire week, I can ignore him for hours, I can yell at him and punish him, and he still lies next to me at night. He still cuddles with me and he still loves me. Show me a human that will do just that. It can happen, but those friends are few and far between. I have to yell at my dog a lot, he likes to think he's the boss sometimes, and afterward, he still gets excited to see me. He still wants to give me kisses and still loves me. That is why I love him.

My dog is my best friend.

Irony can get into trouble, he can do things that piss me off, and I often kennel him just to get him to calm down or get him out of my way. But I love him more than anything in this entire world. I miss him after leaving home for a couple of hours. When I wake up with him by my side and he tilts his head back to say "good morning", I am the happiest person in the world. When I look into his eyes, I can tell that he loves me too. The only thing about him that I would change is his inability to say that out loud.