A LIFE LONG LIVED
by Roland, age 10
My dog’s life was a miracle. He lived a long time. He was older than me. We got Lu before I was born. He passed away when I was 10. He lived to 20 years old, and that’s really long for a dog. A beagle Lu was, and his legacy shall be passed within our family.
Throughout the year of my fourth grade of school, my dog started not wanting to eat his food and felt sick and didn’t want to do anything. He just sat. I was worried, losing him would be a big part of my life down the drain because we did everything together.
We started putting chicken in his food. He still wouldn’t pick at it. After many more tries of trying to make him feel better and eat, we considered putting him down.
I denied it and was upset and thought it was very unfair. Eventually, after getting my head around it and thinking how big of a life Lu has had, , I was still really sad about it because he was our first dog and I’ve been with him my whole life, and him same with me.
Agreed we all should put him out of pain, my family and I decided. We planned how we were going to spend the next two days.
The next two days, we gave him so much love and attention. Over the hours we hugged, held, and cuddled Lu. The appointment was scheduled and there was no going back. I wish we could live forever, and still I tearshedded in the car with the rest of my family, my brother Jaspir, my sister Ada, my dad, and Mom. We were all equally sad. We all loved Lu,
When we got there, we sat down and hugged him. Then we went into the room. We held him and pet him. The nurse gently took a razor and took a little fur off a spot she could put the syringe in.
After he was out, I kissed him on the forehead with a tear coming out of my eye, both of joy that he is no longer being in pain, and that I’m losing him, and I will never see him again.
I still strain over the fact that Lu is gone. Over the next weeks, months, and days, I went through denial, grief, and acception.
We got Lu cremated and have his blankets and bed all around his box. I still go up by the pictures of him where he used to lay and think about how many good times I had with that beautiful dog, I have a big void in my heart where Lu was and it will always be like that.
Pay attention to the things you don’t have forever.
