Harvey’s Story
Harvey’s Story
I was here first, before there was a small human in the house, there was Mum, Dad and me. Then one day Mum began growing somebody new, and naturally I took it upon myself to stay rather close to her. I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but I knew Mum was changing, and I knew I needed to look after her; eventually she disappeared for a little while and came home with a baby who was my hooman brother.
I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced at first, he was very small, made some peculiar noises and, as far as I could tell, wasn’t particularly useful. The thing is everyone seemed rather taken with him, so I decided to give him a chance.
There were cuddles in those early days, then almost without me noticing it happening, this tiny baby wasn’t quite so tiny anymore. He started joining me on walks and we played together and the best bit we grew up together and somewhere amongst all those completely ordinary days, my hooman brother became my best friend.
When he was asked what his favourite animal was, he didn’t say dogs.
He said Harvey, because Harvey is my best friend. I’ve always known this and we belong to each other. ❤️
As my brother grew older, we found our own little routines and one of mine is waiting for him to come home. He comes through the door after school and, when he’s ready, he tells me about his day and I love this and I’m always here to listen.
There are probably people who think dogs can’t understand a conversation. I think those people are concentrating on the wrong bit -you don’t always need to understand every word to know someone; sometimes you just need to know when to stay.
So I stay, we talk. That’s what we did and that’s what we still do.
He’d walked into somewhere new with his best friend beside him, we’d explored it together and by the time we left, it wasn’t quite so new anymore.
I’m not just his dog…
I’m his big brother and I’m his best friend.
Then one day, the whole family went somewhere new -Woodland Hill. Technically, we were going because it was my Pawtrait Experience, which seemed perfectly reasonable to me. The whole family came, including my brother, and before very long we were doing what we always do, just us being us. There were portraits of me on my own, but there were portraits of us together too, and of all of us as a family. Nobody in our house has ever thought of me as something that sits around the edges of the family, I’m right in the middle of it and my brother was happy there.
I didn’t know then that this would matter until one day my brother was back at Woodland Hill, but woof of all woofs this time it wasn’t for me, it was his turn and he was going to Wizard School.
I stayed at home because I didn’t want to get my paws all mucky with potion making and there was talk of flying feathers of all things. What I loved was he already knew the way through that door.
He knew the house, he knew Claire and this was somewhere he’d been before. The first time, he’d walked in beside me and the second time, he walked in by himself – go bro!!
Perhaps that’s one of the things best friends do for each other without ever really knowing they’re doing it, we walk beside someone the first time and we make a strange place feel a little less strange simply because we’re there; so one day, they discover they already know the way. ❤️
Don’t worry, though; I did go back otherwise there would’ve been serious FOMO!
When everyone returned to see my brother’s Wizard School portraits, I went with them for the Design Consultation. I walked back into Woodland Hill perfectly happily because, by then, I knew exactly where I was and more importantly, I knew where the treats were – I hadn’t forgotten Claire and I certainly hadn’t forgotten those. Time to make myself nice and comfy and that’s how it should be.
My brother had first come there because of me. Then he’d gone back and had an adventure of his own and afterwards, there we were again – together. This is the way we’ve been since he was that strange little baby Mum and Dad brought home all those years ago.
He’s bigger now and I’m still considerably furrier, but some things haven’t really changed at all. He comes home and tells me things and I listen.
We walk together. We play together. We sit together and I know I’m loved by Mum and Dad and by my whole family, because I’m one of them.
Inside my amazing family is a friendship that belongs just to the two of us.
Once, somebody asked my hooman brother about his favourite animal and he chose me.
Not because I’m a dog.
Because I’m Harvey.
His brother and his best friend. If anybody were to ask me the same question? Well…
I’d choose him too. ❤️
Love Harvey 🐾
A Little Note From Claire ❤️
I knew before Harvey came through my door that he was very much one of the children. I also knew the relationship between Harvey and his little brother was special and there are things a photograph can show you that would become smaller somehow if you tried too hard to explain it.
I have portraits of these two simply sitting together, apparently deep in conversation. Knowing that this is something they do at home too, makes me love them even more. Harvey’s Pawtrait Experience was the first time his brother came to Woodland Hill. He came as part of the family, with his best friend beside him, and this new place became somewhere he’d explored and enjoyed.
So when he returned later for his own Wizard School Experience, Harvey didn’t need to come with him, he was happy to come through the door without him.
There’s a lovely kind of confidence in that. It’s not the confidence that comes from somebody always having to stand beside you, but the kind they sometimes give you simply by having stood beside you the first time. Harvey couldn’t possibly know he’d done that, although knowing Harvey I suspect he did.
A brother; a best friend and a little boy’s confidant who is a completely adored member of a family and one of their children. When Harvey returned for the Wizard School Design Consultation, he bounded back into the house, completely comfortable, clearly delighted to be here and with an excellent memory for the whereabouts of the treats. 😂
Our Harvs doesn’t only come to Woodland Hill when it’s his turn to be photographed, Harvey is always welcome.
He’s family. ❤️
Claire x
P.S. Harvs being the photographer 🤣
