A Dog’s Journey

    Family is brought together by the way we act around each other and the people or things around us. The most important part of my family was my dog, which kept me calm and happy in the times I struggled. The story of my dog is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Callie was a beautiful brindle boxer that felt the vibes of the family and always knew when to snuggle up next to me.

    When I was a young boy, I always had a wonderful time playing with Callie in our yard. Leaves floated down from the massive oak in the chilled autumn weather. Callie and I zip around my house as we chase the leaves and plunge into the heaps of crisp, browned leaves piling up in the front of my yard. I peeked behind and notice Callie gaining speed and coming close to me as I slowed to a fast-walk and fell to my knees. My mother watched me from the porch with a faint giggle, barely audible to my weak, young ears. While Callie licked my face and my chest began bubbling with childish laughter, I sprung toward a nearby leaf pile as they spilled out all over the ground with a satisfying crinkle and crumple under the weight of Callie and myself.

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Following hours of play with Callie in the cool breeze of late fall, I eventually got called in by my father. I rushed inside to find hot chocolate steaming from the stovetop. Disney appeared on the TV screen while my mother brought over my drink and a bowl of water for my pup. As I leapt onto the couch Callie curled up beside me to warm my heart as the boiling liquid hits my stomach. Love floated in the air as I sipped on my steamy beverage, as I calmly sat with Callie and drifted asleep. Today is a perfect day, I thought to myself as I hug my amazing puppy.

    Years later, my family moves away from our former home and moved to the Great Lakes State. Callie carefully, yet slowly gets out of the car, wagging her stub of a tail, as we arrive at the burnt orange bricked house. A sun-warmed breeze floats past my body as Callie hobbles around the front yard to chase a beautiful blue butterfly. Panting and falling to the smooth grass, Callie has a look of dehydration on her face; returning with water, she happily comes up to me as I splash a bowl of water on the ground. Lopping up tons of water, Callie quenches her thirst and we head on inside to continue moving furniture into the house. 

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    It’s now the year 2018 and Callie has been with us for 11 years; it’s clear to us now that she is getting sick, which is tearing us apart. A giant lump has formed on her short neck, blocking her breathing as well as making it hard for her to swallow. She has been put on medications but nothing seems to be helping, we all thought finally realizing what's going to happen to her. We tried our hardest to push through the issue and tried to keep her healthy as long as we could but it’s finally come so far that it’s time for her to finally rest and make all the pain go away. November hits and I prepare for school, while my dad prepares to take Callie away to her final sleeping place. Tears struggle to hang on as I watch my dog leave the house for the last time of her life. She wags her tail and pants as she, an old boxer now, goes for what seems to be another fun car ride. At least she will enjoy her last moments on earth before she's put down, I think as I run up to my room and hold back the throbbing pain in my head and heart. Callie didn't deserve to leave us yet and my family all thought the same, but her body was ready to drift off to Heaven. 

    Old, loved, calm; the features of what our dog was to our family and always would be even as she disappeared and was never to be seen again. Even today, many months after she left us - I thought I had made it past the grief of losing her - I still struggle to hold back the tears, symbolizing my love toward my perfect and loyal dog. Callie was the most amazing canine companion I could have ever imagined and the event of losing her opened my eyes to how much having a pet can change your life for the better.