Prologue: "Dear Max"

I laugh when people around here call Hartland a hick town
With it's developed suburbs and chain stores,
when compared to my hometown, Hartland is pretty profound.

I grew up in a house with a lot of land,
from my window all I could see were farms surrounded by trees
and most people would find that view awfully bland.

We didn't have a home television until I was eight,
so my sister and I would listen to the radio
And so began my love for Johnny Cash and George Strait.

Located in our kitchen was our only home phone,
it was bound to the wall by a six foot cord
Which made it hard to talk to someone alone.


There was nothing I loved more than being outdoors,
Rain or shine there was always something to explore
Plus staying inside meant doing chores.

So imagine a innocent girl from my background
with a million dreams and a tender soul
Moving to a home nine minutes from Detroit's downtown.

My dogs helped me keep my mind from flying away,
Max, Dutch, Anka and Ava
have made me who I am today.

Max, when I was born you were already seven
you were there for me through my bruises and tears,
So I was hoping you'd help me tell my story from heaven.

"I'm From The Country" Tracy Byrd

Kindergarten: "Afternoons With Max"

From the end of the driveway, to the lone Oak tree in the back field. Those were the boundaries given to me by my parents and I was expected to stay within that area each time I slipped on my navy rain boots to go outside and play. Given that my driveway itself was almost a quarter of a mile long, I was hardly confined yet I always went straight out back and played under the Oak tree, which was right on the boundary line. I would have had to stay closer to home if it wasn't for Max, our black German Shepherd. Before me or my sister were born, my mom walked out onto the porch after a storm had passed and was startled to see a large mangy dog covered in burrs and bug bites taking cover under the roof. They must have startled each other equally because by the time my mom ran in the house to get my dad, the stray had disappeared, leaving only a few wet paw prints. Later that week, he showed up on the porch again, my mom said he was awfully skinny and  when she went out on the porch to give him some food, he didn't run away. One meal led to two, then three then all the sudden he was the bathtub happily getting washed, so happy in fact that he wouldn't stop wagging his tail which sent muddy soap suds flying through the air. Then about five years later, he was there with me resting his paws on my lap as I sat under that Oak tree. My closest neighbors were about a quarter of a mile away, so I sang Shania Twain as loud as I could while Max slept peacefully, occasionally licking my hand when I stopped singing to catch a breath.

"You've Got a Friend in Me"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXURC_nNhc

1st Grade: "Adults Cry Too"

1st grade meant having to stay at school for the whole day so my afternoons with Max came to an end. One day in the middle of the year my sister and I made the long trek up the driveway from the bus to our house as we did every weekday, laughing as we told each other about our days. However when I stepped inside, I knew that something wasn't right. I remember the way my mom looked as she told us that Max died earlier that day. Her eyes looked swollen, every wrinkle highlighted, weighed down by heavy dark circles as if each tear she cried erased a night of sleep. She talked slowly, having to stop every few words to take a deep breath to prevent herself from crying in front of her kids. My dad saw her struggling and began talking for her, explaining that Max lived a long and happy life, but he had lost his hearing within two weeks of going blind and it hurt him just to walk. As he was talking, I watched my mom quick turn around to face the window and in the reflection, I saw the first tear I've ever seen my mom cry. Max was buried underneath the lone Oak tree. 

"The Dance" Garth Brooks

2nd Grade: "A Cycle of Tears and Cheers"

I could not contain my excitement as I stepped out of the truck

I had been waiting for this day for what seemed like forever.

I walked to the barn so fast that I didn't even stop to say hi to Dr. Dee's duck.

Our veterinarian has always been a close family friend, 

I know she has no easy job, 

She breeds Michigan police dogs, and teaches them to defend.

Her German Shepherd had recently become a mother,

and one of the boy pups was coming home with us

We lived only ten minutes away so he could still see his brother.

Like any puppy, Dutch could cause some trouble,

When he ate some flowers, my dad and I laughed

But my mom's temper burst like a bubble.

Life has showed me death and life in these past two years,

It's like a cycle. 

A cycle of tears and cheers.

"Time Marches On" Tracy Lawrence

3rd Grade: "I've Got Your Back"

It was like many other summer afternoons. My sister and I were walking down the road with Dutch trotting happily behind us. In the past year he had grown into a tank; he was much bigger than an average German Shepherd and he had defined muscles that flexed when he walked. Dutch was very protective of my sister and I, he did his best to make sure we never went out of sight. If my sister and I were mad at each other and on opposite sides of the yard, he would try to herd us together like we were a flock of sheep by nudging us with his nose and running back and forth. My parents trusted Dutch, and we could go on long walks if we took him with us.

My sister and I took the route that led us past Macey's house and we were dismayed to see that she and her group of friends were outside on her swing set. Macey was known for being a bully, she always teased me at school, she made fun of my glasses, threw black paint on my art project, took my jump rope but worst of all she tricked me into believing that Seth had a crush on me. When I told Seth that I had a crush on him too, he acted disgusted and ran away from me. Macey told everyone as I hid in the back of the classroom.  As I walked by, my heart was thumping so fast that I could feel it throbbing in my head and I prayed she wouldn't see me. I kept my eyes locked on the ground as if I were counting every pebble on the dirt road. My tactic failed and my heart sank as I heard girls calling my name and running my way. I kept my eyes on the ground and felt Dutch's wet nose against the back of my leg.

"Courtney! How's Seth?" Macey jeered, the rest of her friends broke out in nervous giggles. I felt my face turn bright red.

"Leave her alone!" my sister demanded as she clenched her fists.

Macey laughed and grabbed a fistful of dirt and tossed it at me, but it missed so her friends all picked up hand fulls of dirt and started throwing it until it got in my hair and left a film of dust on my glasses. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes but I was careful to not let any of them see. The sound of their laughs filled my head and my knees began to tremble. Then I heard a new sound, a low growl that sent shivers down my spine and spun around to see Dutch, hunkered down walking toward Macey and her friends showing his teeth. All laughing instantly came to a stop.

"Courtney, make him stop!" Macey cried as she slowly backed up but I was too shocked to respond and kept my eyes on Dutch. All at ones they screamed and ran as fast as they could back up her driveway, her porch steps then into her house, slamming the front door behind them. Dutch immediately went back to his normal self. He sniffed the grass and sneezed before looking up and me and wagging his tail. My sister and I slowly continued our walk in silence, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Once my heart stopped racing and the knot in my stomach went away, I laughed and my sister laughed along with me. Dutch barked happily and ran up and walked in between my sister and I, and the three of us finished our walk in peace.

"That Old Wheel" Johnny Cash

4th Grade: "New Surroundings"

By the time 4th grade came around, Dutch had joined the police force and we adopted Anka, a retired police dog from Germany. She was older, about seven or eight and she was the nicest dog I had ever known. In the winter, she would pull my sister and I around in the sled then she would hop in and my sister and I would pull her around. In the summer, she would let our neighbor's kittens snuggle up next to her to take a nap. 4th grade was the year that my mom decided to go back to school, and I packed up my room, tearfully said goodbye to my home and the oak tree and moved into a small bungalow in a crowded neighborhood. I remember one evening sitting on a park bench with my dad as Anka slept on the grass beside us. I took in my new surroundings. 

On the road, cars zoomed back and forth as and I wondered where each of them was going and why they were in such a hurry. Over by the swing set, a lady on her cell phone was yelling at someone in a language I didn't understand as she watched her toddler on the swings. Off in the distance police sirens began to wail, it was a sound that I wasn't used to hearing, but it was common here. Whenever Anka heard them, she would jump to her feet and listen because that sound used to signal her to be prepared to work. When they stopped she would relax and happily return to her nap. The air smelled like freshly cut grass, which was a smell I was fond of, but when the wind blew the smell of exhaust and burning rubber filled the air. I wasn't fond of my new home, there was nothing comforting about it and I felt claustrophobic. However, I knew better than to complain because I could tell my parents were doing the best they could and we would have to make the best of the situation until my mom finished school and we had the money to move into a better neighborhood. I glanced over to look at my dad, he looked tired so I grabbed his hand and rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. Below me Anka snored quietly. I took a deep breath and finally felt at peace. Home is wherever my family is.

"Let it Go" Tim Mcgraw

5th Grade: "I Got My Shirt At Walmart"

Once again, my family moved. Our new house was smaller than the one before, but it was in a richer part of town so it was all we could afford. I found myself going to a new school again. I wanted to look nice for my first day, so I asked my sister to help me find something to wear. We went through my closet and we put together an outfit that we both thought was really cute. She even let me borrow her nice earrings that she got for Christmas. My new school was huge, complete with a large swimming pool, two gyms, and several beautiful courtyards with fountains and colorful flowers. The kids in my class were nice for the most part, but they asked me odd questions like, "what do your parents do for a living?" and, "Where'd you get your clothes?". Well word got around that I wasn't rich, that my mom was at school, my dad didn't currently have a job and that my clothes weren't designer. I began to notice girls sneer at me when  I'd walk by and the other kids treated me differently. It hurt my feelings, but I had a couple friends that didn't care so it didn't bother me too much. A couple weeks later at recess however, all the kids were playing foursquare and since I was familiar with the game I joined in.

However, one of the more popular girls looked at me and said loudly and sarcastically, "Courtney, I like your shirt, where'd you get it?" and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me, waiting to hear what I would say. My face turned bright red and my throat felt dry but I managed to say "walmart" and all the kids started giggling. I felt a tear make its way down my cheek but I quickly wiped it away.

The girl wasn't done taunting me though and continued to say sarcastically, "Oooo I wish I had Walmart clothes, I wish my parents could afford it." and once again everyone giggled. The girl was wearing a Juicy Couture jacket and designer jeans. I felt like I was going to be sick, but I was to proud to run away so I stayed there waiting in line for my turn in foursquare. Once they realized I wasn't going to leave, they continued the game and said nothing more about my clothes.

However, when I got home I burst into tears, changed into my pajamas and threw my shirt into the back of my closet and never wore it again. I sat in the corner and cried, feeling so embarrassed. I never knew that it mattered where your clothes came from, Walmart and Meijer were the only places that we could afford to buy clothes. Anka came into my room, licked my face and laid down resting her head on my lap.

My parents felt horrible, and I felt so guilty when my mom came home one day with new Abercrombie clothes for me. I asked her to return them and told her I would wear my regular clothes. Everyday from that day on, I walked with my head up in the hallway and wore my non-designer clothes proudly. At first I was still mocked, but when the kids saw that it didn't bother me and that I was actually proud of what I was wearing, they stopped. Goes to show that confidence is key.

"What do You Think About That?" Montgomery Gentry

6th Grade: "The Happiest Dog"

It was my favorite week in summer. The week when we went and stayed at my grandparents cabin on Lake Michigan. On that day there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the reflection of the sun off the water forced me to squint my eyes. Anka was beside me, she had found a stick when we went on a walk through the woods that morning and kept setting it down for me. I would throw it parallel to the water because she loved splashing and jumping in the shallow water on her way to fetch the stick. I waded out into the lake until I was about a little above knee deep, the water growing increasingly cold with each step, giving me goosebumps. It was an odd sensation, with the heat of the sun on my upper body and the chilly water on my lower half. About twenty yards away from me was the old pier, which they had blown up with dynamite so it was now a heap of rubble. The sound and rhythm of the waves hitting the rocks and the seagulls calling to one another as Anka chased them made me smile and feel at peace. Anka swam up beside me and I thought it was so cute the way her paws paddled in the water. She looked up at me, her eyes were bright and full of expression, and I truly believe at that moment she was the happiest dog in Michigan.

"It's a Great Day to Be Alive" Travis Tritt

7th Grade: "Summer Nights With Anka"

By seventh grade, we had moved yet again only this time to a nice, comfortable house in a nice neighborhood. Our backyard backed up to a big park, and I would take Anka on long walks when I could. Every year in August, the amount of people in my area would triple as they traveled from all over the world to be a part of the Woodward Dream Cruise. From my house, we could see Woodward across the park and my sister and I loved to go walk around downtown to see all the old Ferrari and Bentley cars. Anka liked to go too, there were so many people to see and things to sniff. I remember how nighttime was the most fun, as the city was lit up with different hanging lights and all you could hear was loud music, people revving their engines and cheering. The smell of exhaust burning rubber filled the air again, although this time I didn't mind it. As my sister, Anka and I walked along the streets, people jumped were so intimidated by Anka and would actually cross the street rather than walk by her. My sister and I didn't understand because she was just walking along as happy as a clam, she wasn't acting threatening at all. I laughed to myself, if only they knew that she was terrified of the vacuum cleaner and feather dusters.

"I'm Alright" Jo Dee Messina 

8th Grade: "Dogs Deserve To Live Forever"

It was time for me to tell Anka goodbye

She had grown old and sore
As I pet her face I began to cry.

I tried to think of all the good times we had,

She was a great dog and we had a lot of laughs

But thinking of those times made me more sad.

She was laying on her bed and her breathing was heavy

She seemed so at peace for being in pain

But just a week ago she was happily riding in my dad's Chevy.

I remember the day she came home with us

She couldn't stop wagging her tail

And she quickly made herself at home without any fuss

I kissed her goodbye and she managed to lick my nose

I knew I'd see her again

Because heaven is the place where every dog goes.

"One More Day" Diamond Reo

Freshman Year: "New Beginnings"

It took our family a long time to heal over the loss of Anka, our house felt empty. One day in the middle of the summer, Dr. Dee called and announced that her dog had puppies and she had already picked one out for us because a new dog would help ease our grief. My mom agreed and we made the trip across Michigan and I found myself making the same trek to the barn, excited to see the new puppy. We named her Ava, and she slept in my mom's lap the entire way home. Dr. Dee was right, having Ava in our house made it feel whole again and our family would all sit in the kitchen and play with Ava until she matured enough to have free range of the house.   When she got excited she had a bad habit of taking her paw and hitting the edge of her water bowl, which made a big mess. She would watch me get the towel and wipe up the water, and one time, I left the towel there to go grab another and Ava was copying me and using her paws to move the towel around. I laughed for a good ten minutes. I remember one night Ava fell asleep in my lap, and I could hear her snoring softly, she was so little and full of life and it was beautiful.

                                                    

"A Little Bit Stronger" Sara Evans

       

Sophomore Year: "Home At Last"

I moved again sophomore year, it was the year I came to Hartland. Our new house was on about 11 acres, and it had a barn and it reminded me of my first house although Hartland isn't as small of a town. I remember the first time that Ava saw her new yard, she started jumping around and spinning in circles and running as fast as she could with no real direction. Seeing her so happy made my heart happy, she could finally run free without needing a leash. I sat on the edge of my driveway and admired our new place. I couldn't hear any traffic, only the sound of birds chirping and Ava snorting as she rolled around in the grass. There was a comforting warm breeze that seemed to welcome us as we all sat outside. Everything about this home made me happy, it was our new permanent home and I didn't have to worry about moving until I headed off to college. Ava found a stick and brought it over to me as I threw it and watched her run after it, I realized that this was where I belonged. Out here on some land, not in a city. I felt at home.

"Life's a Dance" John Michael Montgomery

Junior Year: "Summer Storms"

Ava and I sat on the dock admiring the dark clouds in the sky.

We had spend all day swimming at the lake,

Although it was late it the evening the temperature was still high.

There's nothing more relaxing than watching summer storms.
Although Ava wouldn't agree, she's not a fan,
But she refuses to go inside and we watch as the storm forms.

With the first crack of thunder she's in my lap,

I gave her a big hug as I laughed,

And I told soon we would go in for a nap.

The clouds became darker and the wind got stronger,
I decided right to go back in
Because we'd get stuck in the rain if we stayed out any longer.

Sure enough as we walked back, it began to rain.

Ava ran looking back at me accusingly, 

I laughed to myself, she probably thinks I'm a pain.

"Like the Rain" Clint Black

Senior Year: "Typical"

I woke up laying halfway off of my bed and I looked over to see Ava sprawled out in the middle with her head on my pillow. I swear she does this on purpose, it happens almost every night yet for some reason I keep letting her fall asleep in my bed. Maybe its because she looks so cute when she's tired, she snuggles right up against me and rests her head on my shoulder then gives me a kiss before fading off to sleep. How could I kick her out? As I got back in my bed I tried pushing her over and she responded with a low growl before getting up, moving about a half-inch over then plopping herself back down. I had to laugh a little at her effort, or lack of it. She had taken my big blanket hostage at some point earlier that night, I only had about a foot while she managed to scrunch it together to take the majority for herself. I know that when morning comes, I'll wake up to her standing over me with her nose to my nose then she'll jump off the bed, start chasing her tail, and sprinting around my room before coming back over to my bed and nudging me with her nose to encourage me to wake up. She is so hyper in the morning, sometimes it'll be 5:30 and I wake up to one of her toys in my face and she'll be sitting there patiently waiting for me to throw it. However, once she eats her breakfast, she immediately climbs back into my bed and sleeps until about 11:00am. This has become our nightly routine.

"You're Gonna Miss This" Trace Adkins 

Epilogue: "Appreciate The Small Things"

"Be the person your dog thinks you are."

I've always admired how happy Ava gets over the smallest things, and it just proves that you don't need the best of everything to be happy, and to not take the little things in life for granted. Dog's loyalty is unrivaled, they are always there to comfort you, they are forgiving, and they love you unconditionally. I know how comforting it is to always have a friend there for you, so I hope to be that friend to someone else. I have also learned the importance of standing up for my family and friends, and to put others before myself. I am going to miss Ava like crazy in college, and thinking about it kinda depresses me. But it makes me appreciate the time that I have with her so much more.