Happy Birthday Harley

December 24, 2013

My Dearest Harley, 

my Christmas Eve Birthday Boy,

As we walk through life together, I cherish every second living fully in the moment with you and loving you beyond what words can express, while always being aware that it comes with an unbearable price...One of the cruelest truths of biology is that a dog's life is significantly shorter than a human's life. The math is unforgiving. If it were possible, I would shorten my life to extend yours. I would do anything to keep you with me and to keep you young. It is the one gift I cannot give. Loving you is the most amazing experience, making my relationships with people feel boring and unfulfilling. You are a gift of pure love and an example of all that is good. You have rescued me in more ways than one, and I owe you my life. No one, nowhere, will ever love me like you do.

Your beauty is stunning, your sense of humor astounding, and your exuberance for life and desire for adventure are infectious. Your mind is beyond extraordinary proving time and time again that you don't know that you are a dog. Your sense of wonder, curiosity, amiability, determination, endurance, and attention to detail are uncanny.... You have a soul of a philosopher....

Your love, affection, loyalty and devotion for me are out of this world. You are the reason that I wake up each and every morning with a smile on my face. And even on my darkest day, it is hard to stay sad when I have you, my 70-pound lovebug, lick my tears away while trying to sit on my lap. Every evening, as you lie with your head on my shoulder gazing at me with your beautiful soulful eyes and giving me the most incredible smile, I think of how much I love you. I put my book down and I kiss you and you exhale the most content groan and immediately give me oodles of kisses. In those moments, those wonderful moments, I'm the happiest person alive and all is well in the world... it really is...

As the years go by, I have realized that the greatest life lessons I've learned, I've learned from you. You have taught me patience, unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, loyalty, trust, honor, plenty of sheer delight, and the incredible joy of laughter. All this time we have been walking through life together, taking long walks, having fun, getting into trouble, always together, living life like a great adventure, I thought that I was teaching you, but all along, you have been teaching me. I am a better person for having you in my life and I will love you for it to the end of time. You are the love of my life, my soul mate, and I am the luckiest person alive to have you walk through life with me.

Happy 8th Birthday Harley, and many, many, many more...

Merry Christmas!

Copyright © 2013 Monika Laryett-Olson

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Monika Laryett-Olson