Autobiographical Incident

“Will she make it?” I asked my mom after school, concerned for my dog’s life. I felt like I was about to explode, just waiting for my mother’s answer. I wouldn’t dare to imagine how dreary and terrible the worst outcome of what she could say could be. Then she answered, “They don’t think so,” and I felt tears stream down my cheeks. Why did my dog have to get lung cancer?

            Over the next few days, we tried to save her life using medicine, which she was unresponsive to. Because she didn’t respond to the medicine, she was taken to the vet after a week to be put down. When everyone was home, we were all crying. It was probably the saddest day of my life. I felt like there was a dark, empty hole where my heart used to be, because I lost a wonderful, faithful friend who I knew for most of my life. I hadn’t even seen my father cry before, but he was crying along with all of us. Our house was a mourning, solemn storm cloud on that gloomy day.

            When someone you love or knew for a long time dies, it’s never easy. But nothing you do can change the fact that they’re gone. If you take forever to get over it and move on, it takes away from time you could have spent learning something new, making friends, or just be happy in general. Even though my dog could never say it, I knew she would want me to start being happy again and accept the fact I’d never see her again, rather than wondering, “If I knew she was sick, could I have saved her?” It’s healthy to be sad, but it’s healthier to move on.

            If you lose someone, it’s hard, but there’s more to life than just moping around about something that happens to everyone. Death is and always has been a part of life, and moving on doesn’t mean forgetting. The best thing you can do is remember the good times you had with them and how much they cared about you. If you can’t move on and feel better about life and the situation itself, distract yourself and try new things. Maybe you’re a natural at something you’d never realize you were until you try it. Also, just try to be optimistic, because while bad things are in store for the future, the good things always outweigh them.