She found the love of her life just a year before her twelfth birthday, though of course she didn’t know that at the time. She had begged her parents for a dog since before she could remember: every birthday, every holiday, every time she dared to say a wish aloud. She was a week away from turning twelve when they finally caved in to her demands. On a blistering June day, they walked into a shelter “just to look.” Her father insisted they were just there to get info, but that resolve lasted all of a minute after they stepped inside.
Mindy, or Nibby for short, was the dog that no one wanted. It was clear that at first, she hadn’t wanted her either. Her parents were taken up with the shy dog with the sad eyes crammed into the corner of a cage, while she was obsessed with a playful Cocker Spaniel puppy. Nibby never wagged her tail or barked to attract attention. She hid in the corner, her fear personified in her small frame. But her parents insisted on coming to say hello, and then everything changed.
At the age of six months, Nibby had already lived through the worst kinds of abuse, but she had lived, and she had been adopted not once but twice, and she had her own social worker to boot. It took them two weeks to finally bring her home, but the trauma she had experienced was not something that could be denied. Nibby wouldn’t leave her kennel when the girls came home from school, and she required her food to be hand-delivered, piece by piece, because she wouldn’t even glance at it without shaking. The girls recall, “The girl remembers thinking that this is not what it is to have a dog, that this is not the happy, energetic pup that she had longed to display to her friends.” But after long nights spent on the floor next to the kennel, Nibby came to be, and when she did, she shone brightly.
With each passing year, Nibby grew bolder with her family, although she was always terrified of strangers. It was in college that the young girl finally understood what her dog had been going through—all because she began dealing with her own issues. Diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression, there were times when getting out of bed was utterly impossible. However, there was one thing she knew would never change—Nibby was always there.
Observing Nibby living and flourishing after all that she had been through was a source of strength when she felt that she had no strength left. This was a strength that had no voice. She wished that she could let them all know just how much it was appreciated.
But after graduation, she packed up and moved to a different city, seventeen hours away, armed with a brand-new degree, a partner who was the love of her life, and Nibby in tow. Nibby, at the age of ten, took the relocation in stride, as if she understood, even at this young age, just how much she was needed now more than ever before. The first year was tough, of course, the purse strings were tight, employment opportunities limited, and the depression clung back to her like a damp, heavy blanket. But Nibby’s constant presence in her life was what got her through.
It was meant to celebrate four years of partnership and two years in this new place. She organized a photoshoot—the Nibby show. They were to honor her, in case she never makes it to another wedding. But then, on Thanksgiving, everything changed. Her partner woke her up from sleep, holding Nibby, and told her he was leaving. No reason, no effort to work things out. He grabbed a bag and left, the world around her in splinters.
The depression returned, but this time it was stronger than ever before. Isolation enveloped her completely. She considered the end of her life. Nibby was the one thing in this city that kept her alive. Once again, it was the dog who had endured so many experiences in life, who was now sustaining her life. But when the day of the photoshoot finally came, she was there just with Nibby. The pictures would be a monument to unconditional love and strength. Nibby may not be there with her forever, but he’ll be remembered. She has a paw-print tattoo with a semicolon on her arm to symbolize how Nibby has saved her life so many times. Ultimately, Nibby is her true love story.
