A Final Farewell

Driving in the rain to bury a pet. You think to yourself that it's all just a bad dream that you can't wake up from. A death and a rain shower, something rather poetic. No matter how hard you try, you just can't shake the feeling of emptiness. You close your eyes. You shut your feelings away inside you. You laugh and crack jokes to mask the pain. Nothing will ever be the same.

Losing a pet is something no one ever thinks about. No one ever has to think about it until the end is near. Once that fateful day arrives, it doesn't feel real. It feels like part of you has been ripped away. You've lost one of your best friends for life.

Yesterday, my family and I had to say goodbye to our dog, Buddy. We had him for 16 years, which is quite a feat for a small animal. No one could have prepared us for the sadness that affected us all. We all took it differently, and I couldn't even bring myself to tears about it. I locked everything inside my head where only my thoughts could listen. I steered clear of anyone wishing "I'm sorry" or "RIP" or "prayers." I didn't want to hear it. Instead, I smiled and laughed and carried on with life. It made me appear like I couldn't care less about what happened. But in reality, I didn't know what to do with my feelings. Everyone deals with loss differently, but this is me dealing with it.

This is my final farewell to you Buddy. May you rest easy and suffer no more. Thank you for being one of the very best friends I could ever have. Thank you for always knowing when I was feeling down or hurting. Thank you for falling asleep whenever I was home alone leaving me talking to myself. I shall miss you dearly my friend, but I know you are safe and no longer in pain where you are now.