Montie was the best friend I could’ve ever asked for. She loved people more than anything, even food, despite how her veracious appetite might fool you. In fact, she loved them so much, she’d keep licking you, indefinitely if not stopped. While she kept her youthful energy for her entire life, as I entered adulthood she matured right alongside me. She was with me for every college exam, moving into my first apartment, getting my first job, and countless milestones in my life. Montie was a hard worker, a lover, and the happiest living thing I’ve ever met.
Her playful energy shone brightly with her goofy antics. From vigorously rubbing her head against my leg after getting wet, to her deep contented grunts my mom loved hearing oh so much. She had so many cute “Montie”-isms, like trying with all her might to contain her excitement from seeing a dog. Then giving in right after exiting the elevator, breaking into a gleeful gallop down the hallway. Her quirks were even there when she was in “work mode”.
Take, for instance, her disdain for getting dirty. In fact she’d steer me around every puddle, no matter how small. If she knew she was about to work, she’d rush to finish her “business”, then leap to get back on the pavement, avoiding all unnecessary contact with the accursed mud.
Her curiosity and smarts were always on display. When teaching her to find something new, she’d get the hang of it almost right away. Although, during play, her understanding of fetch and tug of war was lacking. She’d drop her toys uncontrollably out of excitement, realized she no longer had the toy, and bound right on after it. She very much self entertained. Her personality also led her to entertain others, intentionally or not, like how she’d snore, seemingly, as loud as possible in the middle of complex lectures or important work meetings.
We’d get stopped countless times by people, but if there was one thing Montie got complimented on the most, it was her beautiful thick fur. She had so much of it, I would put money on those who knew her finding little piles of it for at least the next decade. One thing about Montie, her nose was blue as a puppy, but by 1 year old, it had turned pink, I presume as a sign of how much she would be licking anything and everything for the rest of her days.
Montie was caring, she’d check in on me to see how I was doing and know just when to be there for a nice snuggle session. I had a habit of taking naps with her on the floor nearly anywhere we both felt safe. She would, in turn, put her front leg over mine, in an attempt to pet me back. Of course, I cared for her more than anything too. I even figured out that when she was sick, she preferred drinking water from a glass, rather than her bowl. A discovery that helped her feel better when sick on many occasions.
I will miss her forever. We had a loving bond that can never be replicated. She was a beacon of what true purity could look like. She didn’t have a care in the world, unless she was worried about the ones she loved. Montie gave me so much and helped me become who I am today, and for that, I will be forever grateful. Spending nearly every moment beside her for over 9 years made her a part of me and that will never change. Each day, I will try to be more like her, seeing the good in the world and enjoying everything to the fullest and in that way, she will never truly be gone.
