My day began just like any other would. I woke up to the sound of my alarm buzzing, went to school, played tennis, and went to dance. Only today ended differently. Instead of coming home to the sound of my mom cooking, my sisters bickering, and the tv blaring I heard silence. I immediately knew that something was not right. I began walking timidly further into my house. My family was gathered around our dog Sam and my mom was on the phone. “We will be right there,” she said. I had no idea what was happening, I was clueless. After she set down the phone I could tell my mom, along with everyone else in my family had been crying because their faces were red and puffy. Before even knowing what was going on I grew teary eyed.

My dad immediately picked Sam up and carried her into the car. My sister Hallie followed closely behind with Sam’s favorite toy, a cream fuzzy star. We all piled in and headed to the Veterinarians office. We were on Walton Road when I heard the sound of my dads blinker repeating over and over again, like the ticking of the hands on a clock. It felt like a year had gone by from the time we left our house to the time we finally pulled into the parking lot. As we walked into the building Veterinary Specialists was mounted onto the back wall in giant letters. My parents told my sisters and I to wait outside of the room, they said that it would not take too long. We walked over to the chairs, sat down, and remained silent. An hour had gone by and they finally came out. My mom had tears streaming down her face. “We have to put Sam to sleep,” my dad said.

My stomach dropped. I began crying hysterically. I couldn't believe that the dog who has been there with me from day one was dying and there was nothing I could do to change it. I began picturing my life without her. I would longer wake up to the sound of her dogs tags clanking together, or come home from school to see her standing in the driveway waiting for me to let her inside. I was remembering all of the memories she shared with my family. It was hard to picture what our lives would be like without her in them.

The vet came out a few minutes after my parents. Sam was on a leash and the vet took her into a different room. My mom and dad said to take our time and join them in the room when we were ready. I knew that I would never be ready to say goodbye. Sam was not just a pet, she was a part of our family. I felt like the whole world had just come crumbling down on us. Eventually I pulled myself together and walked into the room. Sam was laying there. I could tell that she was not herself. She looked tired and helpless. I felt yet another tear trickle down my face.

My sisters and I gathered around her and sat down. Hallie put her arm around me and a small smile stretched across my face, the presence of my family was comforting. I couldn’t imagine going through this alone without them. I dragged my hand across Sam’s fur countless times because I knew that this was it. This was the last chance I had to be with her. I had a dog treat in my hand and I ripped it in half. I gave one half to Sam and carefully placed the other in my front pocket. “Are you ready?”, the vet asked. I knew I wasn’t but I shook my head yes anyway.
Sam had a long clear tube sticking out of her back leg with pink taped wrapped around it. The vet stood up and walked over to a table in the back of the room. She came back with a syringe that looked as if it was filled with water. I grabbed Sam’s paw and held it tight. The vet pressed her thumb against the top of the syringe until the liquid was gone. No more than ten seconds had passed by and I noticed that Sam's eyes were beginning to close. After a couple of minutes they were completely shut. She was gone, her body laid there and she looked peaceful.

We stood up, walked out of the room, and waited for my dad to finish talking to the vet about how what we wanted them to do with Sams body. I was so angry, nothing about what had just happened seemed fair. We piled into the car and headed home. The whole way back I realized that I had been looking at this situation all wrong. Instead of feeling anger and sorrow for losing Sam I should have been feeling grateful. I was so fortunate to have a dog like her. She brought my family closer together in ways that I would have never expected, it still amazes that my dog did that.

After experiencing the loss of a family member I now know the true importance of living every day like it is your last because you never know what the future holds for you. This experience showed me how lucky I am to be a part of such a loving, caring, and crazy family. I will be appreciative of that from here on out. I will never take anything for granted in the future, especially when it comes to my family and loved ones.