I think about when we were both a little younger, our eyes a little brighter, our energy endless. We'd run through the grass, chase each other around trees, and end the day with dirty feet and leaves in our hair.

I clearly remember the day we got you. I had always dreamed about having you, a dog to call my own. I look back at the hours I spent thinking of the perfect name for you. I'd go online and scour the long lists of dog names and narrow it down to a few I found fitting for your wild nature.

When I think about you in your younger years, I hear my dads voice, grumbling, 'that wild dog,' under his breath. Or my mom comparing you to a bull in a china closet. And that you were.

There was never a dull moment with you; the countless dishes on the counter that you managed to get your paws on, calling your name to come inside and being greeted with a bird or some other critter hanging our of your mouth, or the moments when you thought you were a lap dog, but that 110-pound body wasn't fooling anybody.

You were my first lesson in responsibility and the first thing that ever gave me a reason to worry. I'd be there when you got sick and at all the visits to the vet. You gave me a better understanding of what it means to care for someone/something.

As I got older, you became less of the fur ball that I got into trouble with, and more of a companion. Lets admit it, you were the biggest bed hog, but, the best snuggle buddy. You were my guard dog and were always making sure everyone was safe.

Its funny how we've matured together. How we've never spoken a conversation, yet we know each other so well. You know when I've had a bad day or can even sense when I'm excited about something and your tail starts to wag. I used to imagine what your voice would sound like if you could talk or the conversations we would have.

Today, you're nearly a century old in dog years. I'lI look at your grey face and call your name, but your head doesn't always turn. The days where you'd run ahead of me are long gone, and your eyes have dimmed.

My days no longer end with you greeting me at the door and sometimes I call home just to see how you're doing. When life gets too much, I think back to our times running through cornfields and tracking mud through the house. Such simpler times.

As we've both moved on to different stages in our lives, I've realized how precious those times were and how important it is to cherish each day together, just as I do with any member of the family. Thank you for all the years of unconditional love you've brought me and for growing up right by my side.