For as long as I can remember I’ve always had a best friend. Although he may have been covered in golden fur, he lived up to the name. With endless hours of laying on the floor and letting my mom know when there was absolutely ‘nothing to do’ he was by my side, letting me use him as a pillow. Back and forth, back and forth, Hercules could have ran after that blue ball a million times. I kept it to ten, do to the amount of slime I wanted to deal with. As usual, we would continue on with our little adventures and walks throughout my backyard. There was never a time I didn’t have Herc. Since I was born he has always been there, licking my face and begging to have his butt scratched. There was never a time when I was without a friend or without his comfort, and most important a guardian from the unthinkable things under my bed.

As years went on, Herc was always my families constant company within our busy lives. We knew he had became an old dog, and that he would eventually grow old and pass, but this inevitable fact was avoided. So we helped him up the stairs, we threw the ball only as far as he could go, and we let him rest a little more.

The TV was flickering 2 and a half years ago. As it usually would, on a summer night with my sister and I’s endless duel over what movie to watch. Something was off though, Herc could no longer experience the view of the cut grass and tall trees, but lived in the confinement of a stationary position on his bed. He laid there with no bathroom breaks, no ball chases, and surly no adventures. My dad returned from golf and there was a lack of greeting, only the occurrence of soft wispers. My dad followed by my mother, peered down the stairs, and walked slowly with a look I still remember today. The lines and faint smiles on their faces implied that this was the right thing to do, but the eyes teared sorrow for something I wasn’t ready to hear. “Girls, I think it’s time” in that moment we all fell silent and knew Hercs 14 years were up. I knew this dog was more than a pet, he had a soul that twined our household together and made it a whole. It was the first real lose I had encountered, and my brain was trying to get my self to realize that this was the last time I would have with Hercie. Watching my dad try to grasp his 100 pound companion because he physically could not walk made the tears come in harder. “Come on Hercie, Come on you can do it, into the car come on Hercie” the hope my dad had for him was a friendship I had never seen before. With the last hug we gave to Herc I hoped he understood the love we had for him. Watching the headlights dim I pulled the door open that I had let Herc into since I was able, knowing I could never welcome him in again. My bed was non existent as I curled into a ball sobbing on the floor, hearing my sister accompany me, shedding out a little of our childhood with each tear knowing death was something we couldn’t change. After what felt like hours the door opened bringing back familiar faces forcing me to wipe the tears and run to my parents arms. Hours of memories were splurged from our smiles and the love I was consumed in with sharing these stories reasured me Herc would be remembered. This dog would always bring the smiles on our faces and memories worth sharing.