I know it seems strange and cliché saying that my dog is my best friend, but she truly is. I have a problem with opening up, so although I have lots of close friends that I could, in theory, open up to, I don't feel comfortable talking truly to any of them. When I first got my puppy, one and a half years ago, I was going through a really rough time. She was what kept me going. Even before we got her, the knowledge that I would soon have a dog was another reason to live. She truly is the sweetest dog, and she always has been. I have so much overwhelming love for her, and, back in eighth grade, that was enough to dilute my sadness. I remember there was one time when I was asked, "You have a dog now. Why aren't you happy?" At the time, I made up some answer, but I was really thinking about how my dog was the reason I was able to get out of bed at all.