Today we said goodbye to the best boy. Indiana was beloved by (almost) every person who set foot in our home, even if he was a stinky boy, which was just the deal with having as many allergies as he had. He was the most trustworthy, gentlest, most patient, most obedient dog that I have ever had the privilege of caring for. We have been his family for 15 years, adopting him when he was 8 weeks old. Bubba's granny told us when she met him that she knew he was the kind of dog that was loyal to the end, and he sure was. Not much of a guard dog, but we have always been much more concerned about welcoming people in than about keeping them out, and in that way he was a very real part of our family's dynamic of intentional fellowship and community. We celebrated his birthday with our wedding anniversary, and we have had him almost as long as our marriage. Until my babies came along, I thought I loved him like a baby. And when that turned out not to be *quite* true, he dutifully and gently accepted his lower place on the totem pole, vacating his place on our bed, never stealing the babies' food (even when they offered it), and never arguing with them when they stole his. He painfully bore the pain as they each used him as their walking stabilizer, and he made friends out of kids who were terrified of animals. Frankly, I never expect to have another animal quite like this one, and will miss him oh so much. 'Best Dog in the World' doesn't feel like an exaggeration for this sweet boy. Glad he is done suffering, but so very sad to lose him.
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