Ren's Reads (and More) | A Girl's Best Friend

Today we are covering a girl’s best friend. No, I am not talking about diamonds. I am talking about dogs. Specifically, the dogs we girls get in young adulthood. Even more specifically, the dog that I decided to get in my early twenties. Quite impulsively, I must say.

Meet Delilah. She is an (almost) four-year-old Goldendoodle. Coming in at just under 70 pounds, she is a pure ball of fire and fluff.

Words do not quite cover my love for my four-legged companion. She is without a doubt the greatest friend I have ever had. I had never been loved so fiercely and openly by an animal before I got Delilah and probably never will again. She and I have always been close, but the last year has been full of moments that have truly defined our relationship.

Back in August of 2023, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia at the age of 21. I had just graduated college and gotten my dream job (at the time), excited to dive into true adulthood. I went from the world being my oyster to being lucky to catch the sea bass of life. In normal terms, I was fighting for my life. I spent a month in the hospital, celebrating my 22nd birthday while sporting an oxygen mask and IV. That was one month of figuring out a game plan and getting treatment 24/7.

More specifically, that was one month without my best friend. Every day was filled with fear for my life, but also fear for my dog. Did she think that I abandoned her? Would she recognize me when I got back? Would our relationship be the same?

I can confirm that our relationship was not the same. It was even better. It shifted from me always taking care of her to her taking care of me. She became my rock. When I could not leave the house, she was the one that stayed with me all day long. She never left my side, always willing to watch endless hours of television and take several naps with me.

Cancer is very isolating, especially when your friends and family have responsibilities that leave them unable to be with you 24/7. Delilah made me feel less lonely, less stressed, and more loved.

That’s the thing about dogs. They give so much and ask for so little in return. We humans take them for granted, assuming they will always be around. The sad truth is that they will not, so we need to savor every moment we have with our furry friends.

Take your dog on that walk. Give them that extra treat. Let them sleep in your bed. Let them lick you to death. Give them all the cuddles possible.

All this to say, here’s to the dogs we get in young adulthood. The dogs that see us soar high in the sky and pick us up when we are at rock bottom.

Here’s to a girl’s best friend.