Dogs - My Co-pilots

Each one carried me through a chapter of life — loyal copilots, fierce protectors, and comic relief all rolled into fur.

• Barclay: The original. Big-hearted, bear-hugging, cheesehead-wearing best friend. He knew one toy, one mission, one family. He left the same date my mom did — and somehow, that timing felt like destiny.

• Leica: Fierce, loyal, rosemary-scented, and toy-destroying. She carried the intensity of ten dogs but kept me safe in ways words can’t cover. One ear up, one ear bent —and she'll always be "Daddy's little girl."

• Wally: Gentle soul and constant shadow. At ten, he still knows how to tilt his head just right to make me laugh, or flop down to remind me to breathe. He’s the quiet glue that binds the pack.

• Elsie: The newest recruit. A black-and-white parti poodle with opinions, timing, and an uncanny ability to insert herself exactly where she’s needed. Still learning the rules, already rewriting a few. Equal parts curiosity, confidence, and comic relief — and somehow, already essential.

I call them “my copilots” because each one has guided me, steadied me, or nudged me forward exactly when I needed it. Together, they remind me what loyalty, joy, and second chances really look like.