A final farewell to my best friend Henry

To the editor:

I lost my best friend this past week. Some people would say he was just a dog, but he was more than that. He was my morning and night, my shadow and protector.

He was a guard dog … not the kind that keeps the bad guys away. (He was too little for that.) No, he did something even greater. He kept loneliness away. If loneliness got close, he was there to demand a walk, a treat or just some attention.

He was a quiet and strange little guy who never barked, but his presence filled the room, even while sleeping. When he first met someone he would follow them around, making a low growling sound and then stand by their feet, waiting to be petted.

He was hairy, stinky and had bad breath. Even so, it was the aroma of love.

Henry and I came together under strange circumstances determined by fate.

My friends would say, “God sent Henry to you,” and I’d say, “No, God sent me to Henry.” Eventually, I started saying, “God sent us to each other.”

He became my life, and I became his. He was taken from me way too soon. He had many years of life and love left to give.

I feel like I can’t breathe. The days are too long, the nights too short, and the quiet is killing me.

Name withheld by request