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INCREDIBLE KIDS OF SAN DIEGO

Feelings

By Sofia Mah

Joy. It’s laughing your face off Sadness. It’s hearing the news Scared. It’s the butterflies you get
with your friends after watching the that grandpa’s not well. It’s watching, in your stomach before you take the
funniest movie ever. It’s walking on as your house burns down to a pile stage. It’s screaming at the top of your
the beach at sunset, holding hands of ashes. It’s watching a movie when lungs as you ride the steep, and twisty
with your mom, and the sky filled with the soldier never makes it back home roller coaster. It’s watching a scary
so many gorgeous colors. It’s you and from war to their family. It’s hearing movie with your friends and not being
your brothers, as little kids, running the heart-wrenching news that your able to sleep that night. It’s walking
and screaming around the house boyfriend wants to break up with you. alone through an unknown street, in
trying to escape the tickle monster. It’s It’s watching your loyal, sweet dog die the middle of the night.
seeing your grandma in the front row in your arms. It’s when all your friends
of the audience, cheering for you, as hang out and don’t invite you.
you bow on stage after a performance.

They are always hard for That was some of the hard- fer much longer. My dad was
me. Every time I say goodbye est, most heart-wrenching the only one with Zim when
to someone, a scar full of news I have ever heard. I just she was put down. The rest
sorrow forms in my heart. The thought, if Zim was gone, of our family was frantically
most despondent good- who would I have tea parties trying to drive back. I never
bye I’ve ever experienced with, and who would I read truly got to say goodbye.
was when our family had stories to? Our family went on Little did I know that the last
to put our dog, Zim, down. a weekend trip to our cabin time I would ever see my best
Zim had always had a very in Big Bear, and had Zim stay friend, my tea party partner,
special place in my heart. She at the vet for the weekend and snuggle buddy, was
was the first dog I had ever just to make sure she would when I said goodbye to Zim
known. When I was younger, be well taken care of if things the previous Friday when we
I used to read stories to her, got worse. Halfway through left for Big Bear. When I heard
have princess tea parties, our mini-trip, we got a call that Zim was put down, I
and snuggle with her on from the vet that Zim was re- honestly didn’t know what
the couch when my parents ally going downhill; she had that meant. I just thought
Goodbyes weren’t looking. Zim was so gotten unexpectedly worse. to myself, well when would
She was so skinny and weak
she be put up? But then, my
special. Zim started to stop
acting like herself for a while. that you could see her bones. mom explained it to me. Zim
By Sofia Mah She would barely eat, she She was truly suffering. As was gone, forever. We would
had low energy, and all she soon as we got this call, my never see her black, soft fur
would do was just lay down dad drove back home to San again. Or her cute, tiny nose.
hopelessly. Our whole family Diego, and went to the vet It was over. But, even if I could
was worried about her. Then where Zim was staying. She never see her again, she will
we found out she had cancer, was deteriorating. We had no always have a special place in
and we would only have her other choice but to put her my heart.
for a couple of more months. down. We couldn’t let her suf-
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