MOON

Sadie, a little six-year-old girl and her dog, Moon were the best of friends. Sadie and Moon grew up together, they did everything together and went on amazing adventures every day of the week.
“Catch me if you can, Moon!” Sadie shouted as she came out of the house and ran across the yard, giggling.
Sadie’s laughter always made Moon so happy; it never failed in making her spring up to her feet and run after Sadie. But this afternoon Moon just wagged her tail and remained with her head in her paws on the back porch.
“Come on, Moon!” Sadie called out, but Moon just wagged her tail.
“Moon?” Sadie asked, running back to her best friend with big, worried eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Moon gave her hand a lick as if telling her not to worry, that she would be alright. But Sadie kept on looking at her and stroking her fur.

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For as long as Sadie remembered, Moon had been there with her. Even when she was a baby, Moon was there, making her laugh when she was upset, sad, or scared. Moon was there when she took her first steps. Moon was there when Sadie learned to ride her bike. Moon was there when she fell asleep every night and when she woke up every morning. They played together, ate together, walked to Sadie’s school together and had so many fun adventures together. Sadie couldn’t remember a time where Moon wasn’t happily running, barking and showering her with wet dog kisses.

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The back door opened and Sadie’s Dad wondered out.
“Dad, what’s wrong with Moon?” Sadie asked and Moon nuzzled her big head closer to her.
“She’s just a little tired,” Dad started to say, kneeling down beside them and scratching behind Moon’s ears. “Moon’s not as young as she used to be. She needs more naps to be able to play with you as much as the two of you want to.”
Sadie nodded and giggled when Moon’s back legs started to kick the air with joy.
Sadie left Moon napping in the porch and when Moon woke up, the two played until the sun had gone down and a full moon appeared in the night sky.

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She went to sleep with a mind full of adventure ideas for the next day. Soon, Sadie would go back to school and they would have less time to play.
Should we go to the park again? What about the big hills behind the house? Maybe we should go to the lake! Sadie thought and fell asleep with a bright smile on her face.
The next morning, Sadie got up early and ran to the corner of the porch, where Moon always slept, right by Sadie’s bedroom window.
“Wake up Moon, wake up!” Sadie gently shook Moon’s furry back. Moon was always up and ready to go, greeting her with a big wet kiss and a pounce, but not that morning. Sadie found her still asleep.
“Moon?” Sadie asked and lifted Moon’s large ear, then said, “Wake! Up!”

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Sadie’s Mom called her inside for breakfast, but Sadie didn’t want to go. Eventually, she went back inside, glancing over her shoulder at Moon with every step.
When she came to the porch again to look for her, Moon was gone.
“Mama, where’s Moon?” she asked, worriedly.
Her mother gave her a hug, “Dad took her to see the vet.”
Sadie waited all morning for Dad to come back with Moon. But Lunchtime came and went and Dad didn’t come back. The afternoon went on. Cars went by the house. Grandma and Grandpa came by. But Dad and Moon weren’t back.
“Mama, when’s Daddy bringing Moon back?” Sadie asked, wringing her hands over and over.
Mama sighed, gave her a tight hug and murmured against Sadie’s hair, “Moon isn’t coming back, sweetie.”

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Sadie pulled back with a gasp. Her bright eyes glittered with tears that soon rolled down her cheeks as she asked, “Why not? Does Moon not like living with us anymore? Did she find a new best friend?”
Her mother shook her head, wondering how she would explain things to Sadie in a way that she could understand. “Sadie, Moon went to doggy’s heaven. She’s with God now.”
“Moon’s gone?” Sadie asked in a soft voice full of disbelieve, “She’s dead?”

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Her mother nodded and hugged Sadie tightly. But Sadie pulled back and ran back outside, shouting, “No, you are lying. She’ll be back, you’ll see!”
Sadie spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the front steps of the house, waiting for Moon. A little after sunset, Dad came back, but Moon wasn’t with him.
When she asked about Moon, Dad told her the same Mama had. Sadie didn’t believe them. There was no way Moon was gone. Moon would never leave her behind like that. They were best of friends; friends forever!
That night, Sadie found it very hard to sleep. She kept dreaming of Moon and peeking out her window to look at Moon’s sleeping spot. Every time she found it empty.
"Sadie?"
Father called when she met Sadie still awake.
"You can't sleep?"
Father asked as he picked Sadie into his arms and placed her gently on the bed.
"I can't father, I keep dreaming of Moon, I know she would come back, right?"
Father sighed and kissed Sadie's cheek a little.
"Moon is not coming back my princess"
Sadie's eyes brimmed with tears, she sniffed and began to cry.
"Oh my dear, don't cry now, Moon won't be happy if she sees you crying.
Father said and hugged Sadie again.
"Then she should come back Dad, if she is won't be happy to see me cry then she should come back. Dad, please help me beg her to come back"
Sadie cried the more. Father felt touched, he kissed Sadie and wiped her tears.
"Do you want to make Daddy cry?"
Father asked when Sadie refused to stop crying. Sadie sniffed and wiped her tears before she replied.
"No dad"

"Ok dear, let's pray for Moon together"
Sadie agreed and prayed for Moon, she prayed Moon would be happy wherever she is, she also prayed moon would come back soon.

Father assured Sadie that moon has heard her prayers. He brought out some story books and read out to Sadie till she fell asleep.
After three days of waiting for Moon to come back, Sadie started to feel very strange.
Sadie felt angry, very angry.
When her cousin came by with is new puppy, Sadie looked at it and pointing at the door shouted, “Get that dog out of here! I don’t want to see another dog here, ever!”
“Why?” her cousin asked, holding his pup tight to his chest.
Sadie narrowed her eyes, “Because he’s never going to be a real friend. He’ll make you think you are best of friends and then leave you!”
With those words, Sadie stormed out of the house. She went to a corner of the backyard, curled up under the big tree, the one Moon and her used to nap under and started to pull out fists of grass. When she was done with that, she turned to the tree and started to kick and punch it, all the while shouting, “Why did you leave Moon, why? I don’t like you anymore, I never will, even if you come back!”
Mother could see Sadie screaming in pain, she hurried to Sadie and hugged her.
"Mom I hate Moon, she left me"
Mother kissed Sadie forehead and picked her into her arms.
"Sadie, you have to understand that it wasn't moon's fault, and she wouldn't leave you on purpose, it's just that she had to go"
Mother said as she soothed Sadie's hair. Later that evening mother made Sadie's favorite dish and sang melodiously till Sadie fell asleep.

Sadie also felt very upset with Dad. She stopped playing with him and hardly talked to him anymore.
“Sadie,” Dad motioned for her to sit beside him one afternoon, “Why are you so mad?”
Sadie crossed her arms and staid standing, “you took Moon away from me.”
Dad shook his head, “Sadie, losing a loved one is hard, I know, but Moon was an old dog, she needed her rest and God took her to doggie heaven, where Moon can rest and be happy.”
“She was happy here with us,” Sadie pouted.
Dad sighed, “When animals and people get very old, they die and go to heaven. It’s difficult for all of us and for them, but that is how life works.” He explained, then stood up and held Sadie tight to him.
“So, I’ll never see Moon again? She’s gone for good?” Sadie asked.
Dad shook his head, “Sadie, Moon will always live on in your heart. As long as you remember her and all those times you spent together, the memory of Moon will stay always alive with you, wherever you go.”
A small smile appeared on Sadie’s face.
That night, when Sadie fell asleep, she found herself in a sandy shore. Moon stood beside her, happily wagging her tail. A wave came rolling to the shore and Moon pounced on it, barking loudly. Sadie laughed and the two pounced and splashed each other on the waves. They played tag on the sand and rolled around, getting seashells all over their hair and fur. Sadie threw a big colorful beach ball to Moon and Moon jumped up and pushed it back towards Sadie with her nose. This had been the most fun Sadie ever had.
“Sadie, Sadie,” her mom gently called.
“Not now Mama, Moon and I are playing,” Sadie sleepily grumbled, but all too soon, the wonderful dream she’d been having faded and Sadie was back in her room.
Suddenly, she remembered the dream and dashed out of bed, shouting with joy across the house, “Moon’s back! Moon’s back!”
Her parents looked at each other worried and followed her out the door.
Sadie came to a slippery stop in front of Moon’s sleeping place. It was still empty. There was no Moon there.
Sadie looked at the floor and shuffled her feet, “I was sure she was back. We played at the beach and had so much fun.”
Her parents hugged her tightly, murmuring that it was only a dream, a very good one at that. But Sadie wasn’t so sure anymore.
Summer ended and Sadie went back to school. Walking down the street every morning without Moon by her side was very difficult. Sadie kept looking back, thinking Moon was right behind her, only to find her mother there instead. She kept talking to Moon, telling her about the birds, flowers and people along the way, but Moon wasn’t there to answer with a bark, a snuff, or a tap of her tail on Sadie’s side.
Then Sadie remembered what Dad told her and instead of remembering all those times with sorrow, she remembered them for all the fun they had. This always cheered up Sadie and helped her get through the school day and the many hours after it.
But slowly, something else started growing inside Sadie’s heart, guilt.
“Mama, did I take good care of Moon?” Sadie asked one day.
Her mother nodded and smiled, “You were the best pet owner a dog like Moon could ask for.”
But Sadie wasn’t so sure, “But Mama, why didn’t I see that she was getting old? Maybe if I had let her rest more and not asked her to play so much with me she would still be alive.”
Her mother kissed her head, “Old age kind of sneaks up on you, it’s the same for dogs. There’s nothing we can do about it, other than to live each day to the fullest and you helped Moon do just that.”
These words comforted Sadie, but not much. She still felt like she could have done more for Moon.
Fall came and went and with winter came snow. Sadie remembered how much fun she and Moon had during the holidays and she felt very sad, more than ever. Sadie didn’t even want to get out of bed, not even to buy a Christmas present for her friends and teacher.
But on Christmas day, when Mom and Dad managed to get Sadie out of bed and into the living room to open her presents, Sadie was in for a big surprise. In a big, red box, she found a framed picture of moon and her and another of Moon alone. She also found a blanket with Moon’s photo and a plushy that looked almost like Moon, but Sadie knew it wasn’t her. She also found a letter, from Moon to her.
With her parents help, Sadie read the letter where Moon told her how much she loved Sadie and how she missed her. But she also told her about doggie heaven and how she was doing. She told Sadie to be happy and always remember her fondly. As long as she always did that, Moon would live on forever in her heart because she knew Sadie wouldn’t let her memory die.
This cheered up Sadie and at last, she started accepting that although Moon was gone, she was also alive in a way. She understood that leaving the earth was part of the circle of life and unavoidable. But the memories and years Sadie and Moon had spent together were something that would keep her happy and satisfied; as long as she remembered those fun times, Moon would always be with her.
The following summer, on Moon’s anniversary, Sadie and her parents planted tress to give new life. Sadie felt as long as the trees grow, it wad a symbol of new life between her and her dear Moon. She attached a letter to the tender trees. Her letter contained all her feelings from when Moon left her side, until that Christmas morning.
The years came and went and the pain in Sadie’s heart over Moon’s passing lessened.
One day, a few years later, Sadie visited a pet shelter with her parents. Sadie had decided that it was time to open her heart to another loving pet, who needed a home and a caring family.
Immediately as she walked in, Sadie spotted the most adorable little dog she’d ever seen. He was black but had a patch of white right over his chest and a single white paw.
“He looks like he’s wearing a tuxedo,” Sadie commented to her parents.

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The dog wagged his tail, glancing at her with emotion filled puppy eyes. Sadie couldn’t walk away from him.
A while later, they walked out of the shelter, adoption papers in hand and a happy, tail-wagging Tuxedo by Sadie’s side.

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