After 14 or some years my family and I faced a difficult situation we never thought we would come to. I thought it would be easy putting my dog, Skippy, down but after it, a lot of things came to my mind that I never noticed. I regret taking the smallest moments for granted. I never appreciated the memories with Skippy that seemed to be pointless at the moment but in the end, they mattered the most now.
At the randomness times, he pops into my mind. There will never be a time where my siblings and I argue and fuss over who is going to take the dog out. As much as we butted heads over it, I wish I could take him out one more time while arguing with my siblings for old times' sake.
What I will miss the most is his presence. Watching television with him right by my side and picking him up and hugging him will no longer happen anymore. Even coming home from a long day or late at night, you would see Skippy perched at the window waiting for you. Now I pull up and he is not present. My family and I still continue to worry about picking things up from the floor and shutting doors, yet we no longer have to. We have habits that we have been used to for so long and now we have to quit them.
It hasn't been awhile but since I have been home, I have picked up on some moments where Skippy made an impact on our lives. There was a moment where my dad and I were eating in the kitchen and he dropped a chip. Normally, my dad would yell at Skippy to eat it but this time around there was a long pause. Before my family and I would leave my dad would call us wondering who left the dog out before we left. However, this time around Skippy wasn't there to be left out before we left the house. The days in the house seem quieter than what they used to be and the nights seem odder. Skippy was definitely another member of the Meehan household.
I never realized how big of an influence Skippy had on my life and for the rest of my family. It will be a change for all of us to fill the hole where Skippy mattered. It will take some time to get used to it but in the end, this was best for Skippy and we all have to come to terms with it. Skippy will always be by our side whether it is sleeping on the couch or whining at the door, he will be present through our daily lives in a different, unique way.
