Simba

On Sunday I received a call from my mom. It wasn't one of those calls you want to get. She called to tell me that our beloved family dog, Simba, was not doing well and was probably not going to last much longer.

He has been our family dog since I was in the 5th grade. Such a happy dog, fun loving and just sweet, we loved him so much! He loved chasing the neighbor dogs out of the yard. And he chased them almost up to the very end. He loved eating grapes from the vine out back and stealing the raspberries from the bushes, eating every last one he could reach. He was very loyal and would always sleep at the foot of my parents bed. Also, he was an avid music fan, always sitting down right by the piano and listening to all of us practice and play the piano. It didn't matter how long we were there or how it sounded, he was there listening to every moment.

Last summer, Mom and Dad took him camping with them so he could see the mountains with them. He loved getting out, especially the mountains. He even had his own sleeping bag! He always did like to cuddle in the nice soft blankets.

So, yesterday, we trekked up to Hooper to say our goodbyes to our beloved pooch. He was almost 17 years old! That is like 119 in dog years! He did good. My parents had the hard but merciful task of taking him to the vet today and staying with him while they gave him a shot to put him to rest. He was in so much pain that it really was the right thing to do, just very hard. Death is something that we as pet owners sign up for with out realizing it. It's a part of life, and is one of those experiences that will happen whether we like it or not. I've done my crying (uh, tearing up as I write this) but now it is turning to relief and gratitude toward my childhood companion. Simba, we will miss you so much!!! We Love you!