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Dogs are human’s best friends, and, in the case of Bella, no truer words could be spoken. On Oct. 1, I suddenly lost my best friend.

She was almost 9, and I had so many more wonderful years planned with her. It’s still painful to discuss, but I think in this time of joy (it’s Christmas after all) I want to share with all of you the joy she brought me. Will I cry writing this? Probably. Will it make me sad to write this? Absolutely. But, it will also bring me happiness to share what an absolutely amazing best friend Bella was to me for eight, almost nine years. After all, isn’t sharing what we love about family and friends one of the reasons for the season?

I received Bella when she was 4 months old. She was supposed to go to a home in Italy to be a show dog, but they had not sent the proper paperwork to my breeder, so the breeder was looking for a home for this puppy. I had done a lot of research about the dog I wanted; I needed a dog that was independent and fine with being home alone since I taught and coached. An Akita seemed like the perfect breed because they were described as fiercely protective and the cats of the dog world. How true that description would become.

My mom and I drove eight hours to upper New York to look at this puppy. We weren’t sure we were going to bring her home; we didn’t even have a collar or a leash with us. I met the breeder’s other dogs, toured her property, and then she asked if I wanted to meet the puppy. Of course I did.

What I wasn’t prepared to meet was the cutest, warmest and most welcoming ball of fluff. She stood up in her little pen and licked my hands and wagged her tail so hard she almost fell over. She also walked well on a leash and rode in the car like a champ. I knew in that minute she had to be mine. I left New York that day as the owner of one little puppy I was madly in love with. Her wonderful personality emerged on that trip home as well. At a rest stop, she was so excited to greet all the people we saw; she loved to be the center of attention.

As she grew up and we moved into our own home, Bella truly blossomed. She was a princess when we went places. She wanted everyone to love her and give her pets; she never met a stranger she didn’t like. At home, she was a goofball of epic proportions. Upside down naps, wriggles, zoomies and, later, chasing her two best cat friends filled my days with laughter and smiles. And while I would love to say I was the paragon of patience, I definitely wasn’t and there were occasions where I would yell or become frustrated and never once did Bella hold those moments against me. She waited for me to calm down and then would approach and lick my hand; all would then be forgiven.

Bella loved walks. It didn’t matter if it was pouring down rain, negative degrees, or hot, we were going for a walk. The only thing that changed was how far we went. Snow, specifically snowy walks, were her utmost favorite. Walks with Bella made me a better person; I started wanting to explore with her and so we went all around the tri county area looking for the best parks, trails or places to walk. Her adventurous nature wasn’t just limited to walks. Bella traveled to Maine, Michigan, Louisiana and Canada with me. One of my dreams was to take her to Banff, but sadly, we never made it. She loved to go for a ride in the car and she was a professional at staying in hotels. She was one of the best travel partners I have ever had.

Losing her was absolutely devastating, especially as suddenly as it happened. However, even in her loss there were small blessings. Bella didn’t suffer and one thing I learned as a farm kid was we should never let our animals or people suffer if we have the ability to help. Secondly, she had a pretty magical life with me (or at least I’d like to think that). Third, she taught me so much about love, forgiveness, patience and happiness. There are countless other lessons I could espouse about here, but for the sake of space, I’ll leave it with the most important ones.

So as this holiday season approaches, I know there will be moments of sadness and moments of wishing she was here, but I’m going to take comfort in the memories I have of her and our time together. And those are my words of advice for anyone who is missing someone special this holiday season. Whether human or animal, friend or family, this beautiful and joyous holiday season can also have moments of sadness and nostalgia. My advice is to embrace it all — the happy, the sad, the melancholy and joyous — because without sorrow, we can never know true delight. And if you happen to see me out and about, I’ll be finding all the doggies and giving each one a good pet and maybe even a treat — just call me Ms. Santa Paws.

Submitted by Christen Clemson, a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau, who has completed her Ph.D. at Penn State University. She farms with her family in Mecca Township.

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