In the personal narrative, I told a personal story close to my heart about my dogs. My goal during this essay was to be very descriptive to let the readers live through my experience.
personal narrative
Have you ever had a dog that was your best friend? My best friends were Sam and Lulu. Although I still have Lulu, Sam passed away on a hot, summer morning in July. I know that if he could have lived with me forever, he would have, but unfortunately life doesn’t work that way. Lulu, Sam, and I shared the most amazing times during the years that he lived, and we created more memories than I could count. Through the painful experience of losing my best friend, God found ways to show up in my life to let me know that everything was going to be okay. He showed me everything happens for a reason, by showing me signs of Sam in nature, as well as bringing me a new joy to create new memories with. That new joy was named Mac. While the chapter of me, Sam, and Lulu had closed, a new one began when Mac was brought into our family. God put all three dogs in my life at just the right times, and because of that my life has been changed for the better.
Sam
When I was approximately four years old, my mom, dad, sister, and I went to a labradoodle breeding house to look for a new addition to our family. As soon as we saw Sam, it was love at first sight. Sam was a chocolate Labradoodle and was about the size of a football. He had the most soft, wavy, brown fur and honey brown eyes that could melt any person’s heart. Little did we know that our new shy puppy would fill the hole in our lives we didn’t even know existed. During our long ride home, we went back and forth about what our new puppy’s name should be. My dad mentioned the name Sambo, and after much deliberation we decided on the name Sam. I wish I remembered more about him during his early years, but due to being so young, the memories are clouded. My parents trained him to obey different commands such as sit, lay down, come, and shake. They always talked about how good he was with picking up on new commands, and being the best dog in the world because he was so easily trained.
Sam shared the best friend position between my dad and I. My dad always shared a special bond with Sam, because of the binding factor that they were the only males in the house. My dad had been the only one for so long, so he was ecstatic to finally have a boy. My dad has always been a kid at heart and always made up the wildest games for my sister and me to play. Our favorite one was called “Lemon, Lemon, Land.” We would all pile in my parents’ huge bed and get under the sheets into the “spaceship.” We would make spaceship noises as we tapped the sheets acting like we were controlling where the spaceship went. Then, we would get up from the covers and ask my dad where we landed. He would make up crazy places, but our favorite place to go was Lemon, Lemon, Land. When we arrived at our destination, we would jump out of the “spaceship” and run around as Sam chased around the house. The goal of the game was to make it back into the spaceship in time before Sam could catch us. While this was our favorite game to play, we knew that Sam shared the same love for it that we did. Sam became my best friend too. After a long, eventful day with Sam, he would come to sleep at the foot of my bed every night to recharge for the next day of playing. Carly, my sister, was always jealous of this because while her room was just down the hall from mine, Sam would always choose to sleep with me.
Lulu
On a cold Christmas morning in 2011, my sister and I, ran down the stairs like little lightning bolts to get to the living room, so that we could open our presents. As we finally reached the living room out of breath, we were full of excitement. There was a massive red bag waiting for us next to the even bigger Christmas tree, and my mom told us to open it first. Much to our surprise, we saw a baby labradoodle with a big red bow sitting on top of her head. She had fluffy blonde fur that was as soft as a blanket, and the most beautiful green eyes. Lulu was by far the best Christmas present I have ever received, and to this day I have not received a present that topped it. As we were thinking of what to name her, I looked down at my pink Lulu’s restaurant t-shirt and yelled out the name Lulu. My family instantly fell in love with the name, because it fit our new spunky puppy. We could barely control our excitement because Sam had a new sister to play with. Unfortunately, Sam was not a happy camper when he first met Lulu. He was upset that he was no longer the center of attention anymore, and that he would have to share the spotlight. Slowly but surely Sam grew to love Lulu the way the rest of us did. Lulu had a ton of energy, and always wanted to play, but Sam was a very chill dog so was not always in the mood to entertain her. I remember when I would come back from school and look outside, Sam would be laying on top of the trampoline to get away from her. This only worked for a little bit, because Lulu’s little legs grew to where she too could jump on the trampoline. Although their personalities differed greatly, they complimented each other well. Sam helped show Lulu the ropes while she was growing up, while Lulu brought out the puppy side of Sam.
The worst day
In the Summer of 2018, I was 17 and my sister was 20. I came home late at night and went into my sisters’ room to talk to her. She told me to slept with her so I crawled into bed. We rarely sleep together, but looking back now, I am so glad that we did that night. We went to sleep feeling so close and calm, not knowing that the next day would change our lives forever.
My mom and dad came into my sisters’ room that morning of July 10, 2018. They stood at the end of the room and woke both me and my sister up at the same time. It is hard to explain the feeling I had when I looked into their teary eyes that morning, but at that moment, I knew Sam had died. My dad could barely spit it out, but he managed to choke out the words “Sam died.” I immediately had a million emotions flow through my body as I burst out in tears. My sister starting cursing everyone out, screaming, and crying. It was difficult for me to understand what God’s plan was in this moment, because all I could feel was the pain of losing my best friend. We eventually had to go outside and say our goodbyes to him. I held his body close to mine knowing I would never see his precious face again. I would never see him playing with Lulu, and I would never get to love on him again. Looking back now, I have no clue what I said to him that day due to the overwhelming shock I was experiencing, but I know for sure I told him how much I loved him.
Mac
Months went by, and there wasn’t a single day where I didn’t think about Sam. One day, as I was scrolling through Twitter, I saw a tweet that if you see a yellow butterfly it means someone decreased is thinking and watching over you. The next day as I was headed to get ready for my Senior prom, I saw a rapid display of flying golden insects, and immediately knew that it was Sam. I couldn’t help but think of all of the memories we had, as my lips curled into a smile. It felt as though God sent them down personally just for me to know Sam was watching over me. Normally I go to a specific salon to get my hair and makeup for big events, but they were not available so I picked out a new salon to go to. As we are making small talk, she mentioned how she breeds Goldendoodles. My mom and I simultaneously gave each other a look, and we both knew that we wanted one. She proceeded to tell us she had one boy Goldendoodle left from the litter. It felt as though it was meant to be. Our hopes went down a little as she informed us that another family might want him. We told her that if the other family did not go through with adopting him to give us a call. A couple of days went by without receiving a call, but we continued to pray every night that we could add another addition to the family. My dad was not as on board as my mom and me to get another dog, because he was still grieving the loss of Sam. We made a deal with him that if the other family got the dog, that we would drop the whole idea, but if they don’t, then he was meant to be ours. A few days later, my mom and I decided to go to church on a Sunday night, and the whole ride there we talked about how God has a plan. In that moment, we chose to let whether or we got a dog to be in his hands only. Just as the church music stopped playing, we received a call from the breeders saying that the puppy was still available, and that he was ours if we still wanted him! My heart began to race because we were about to go get our new baby boy. When we finally got to PetSmart after what felt like an hour-long drive, we were handed our beautiful Goldendoodle puppy. He had blonde sandy fur and looked just like Lulu did when she was a little. The whole ride home, I held him close to me. He never barked and he laid so calmly in my arms like he was meant for that moment. He had the sweetest puppy breath, and because I knew the time would fly, I savored that moment. When we got home with him, Lulu was terrified. She jumped and ran away from him just like Sam had done with her when she was a baby. Lulu was now the one that was sad because it wasn’t getting all the attention anymore. We spent days fighting with each other about what to name him, because we wanted it to be perfect. My dad mentioned the name Mac and I loved it. It was special to me, because I remembered that he had named Sam. After days of Lulu being so mad at me and running away from Mac, she finally came around and began to play with Mac. Lulu was so used to being the baby, but now she had to become the big sister.
Trusting and believing in God is so important to me. Looking back, God played such a huge role throughout the entire process. He knew I would grow up with such an amazing dog and best friend. He knew that I needed to sleep with my sister the night before Sam died. He knew I would see yellow butterflies that would always make think of Sam. He knew Lulu needed Sam, but now Mac needs Lulu. Life is beautiful and dogs make it even more special. Without Gods timing and plans, I would not have been so blessed with the most amazing people family and dog family.
Sam
When I was approximately four years old, my mom, dad, sister, and I went to a labradoodle breeding house to look for a new addition to our family. As soon as we saw Sam, it was love at first sight. Sam was a chocolate Labradoodle and was about the size of a football. He had the most soft, wavy, brown fur and honey brown eyes that could melt any person’s heart. Little did we know that our new shy puppy would fill the hole in our lives we didn’t even know existed. During our long ride home, we went back and forth about what our new puppy’s name should be. My dad mentioned the name Sambo, and after much deliberation we decided on the name Sam. I wish I remembered more about him during his early years, but due to being so young, the memories are clouded. My parents trained him to obey different commands such as sit, lay down, come, and shake. They always talked about how good he was with picking up on new commands, and being the best dog in the world because he was so easily trained.
Sam shared the best friend position between my dad and I. My dad always shared a special bond with Sam, because of the binding factor that they were the only males in the house. My dad had been the only one for so long, so he was ecstatic to finally have a boy. My dad has always been a kid at heart and always made up the wildest games for my sister and me to play. Our favorite one was called “Lemon, Lemon, Land.” We would all pile in my parents’ huge bed and get under the sheets into the “spaceship.” We would make spaceship noises as we tapped the sheets acting like we were controlling where the spaceship went. Then, we would get up from the covers and ask my dad where we landed. He would make up crazy places, but our favorite place to go was Lemon, Lemon, Land. When we arrived at our destination, we would jump out of the “spaceship” and run around as Sam chased around the house. The goal of the game was to make it back into the spaceship in time before Sam could catch us. While this was our favorite game to play, we knew that Sam shared the same love for it that we did. Sam became my best friend too. After a long, eventful day with Sam, he would come to sleep at the foot of my bed every night to recharge for the next day of playing. Carly, my sister, was always jealous of this because while her room was just down the hall from mine, Sam would always choose to sleep with me.
Lulu
On a cold Christmas morning in 2011, my sister and I, ran down the stairs like little lightning bolts to get to the living room, so that we could open our presents. As we finally reached the living room out of breath, we were full of excitement. There was a massive red bag waiting for us next to the even bigger Christmas tree, and my mom told us to open it first. Much to our surprise, we saw a baby labradoodle with a big red bow sitting on top of her head. She had fluffy blonde fur that was as soft as a blanket, and the most beautiful green eyes. Lulu was by far the best Christmas present I have ever received, and to this day I have not received a present that topped it. As we were thinking of what to name her, I looked down at my pink Lulu’s restaurant t-shirt and yelled out the name Lulu. My family instantly fell in love with the name, because it fit our new spunky puppy. We could barely control our excitement because Sam had a new sister to play with. Unfortunately, Sam was not a happy camper when he first met Lulu. He was upset that he was no longer the center of attention anymore, and that he would have to share the spotlight. Slowly but surely Sam grew to love Lulu the way the rest of us did. Lulu had a ton of energy, and always wanted to play, but Sam was a very chill dog so was not always in the mood to entertain her. I remember when I would come back from school and look outside, Sam would be laying on top of the trampoline to get away from her. This only worked for a little bit, because Lulu’s little legs grew to where she too could jump on the trampoline. Although their personalities differed greatly, they complimented each other well. Sam helped show Lulu the ropes while she was growing up, while Lulu brought out the puppy side of Sam.
The worst day
In the Summer of 2018, I was 17 and my sister was 20. I came home late at night and went into my sisters’ room to talk to her. She told me to slept with her so I crawled into bed. We rarely sleep together, but looking back now, I am so glad that we did that night. We went to sleep feeling so close and calm, not knowing that the next day would change our lives forever.
My mom and dad came into my sisters’ room that morning of July 10, 2018. They stood at the end of the room and woke both me and my sister up at the same time. It is hard to explain the feeling I had when I looked into their teary eyes that morning, but at that moment, I knew Sam had died. My dad could barely spit it out, but he managed to choke out the words “Sam died.” I immediately had a million emotions flow through my body as I burst out in tears. My sister starting cursing everyone out, screaming, and crying. It was difficult for me to understand what God’s plan was in this moment, because all I could feel was the pain of losing my best friend. We eventually had to go outside and say our goodbyes to him. I held his body close to mine knowing I would never see his precious face again. I would never see him playing with Lulu, and I would never get to love on him again. Looking back now, I have no clue what I said to him that day due to the overwhelming shock I was experiencing, but I know for sure I told him how much I loved him.
Mac
Months went by, and there wasn’t a single day where I didn’t think about Sam. One day, as I was scrolling through Twitter, I saw a tweet that if you see a yellow butterfly it means someone decreased is thinking and watching over you. The next day as I was headed to get ready for my Senior prom, I saw a rapid display of flying golden insects, and immediately knew that it was Sam. I couldn’t help but think of all of the memories we had, as my lips curled into a smile. It felt as though God sent them down personally just for me to know Sam was watching over me. Normally I go to a specific salon to get my hair and makeup for big events, but they were not available so I picked out a new salon to go to. As we are making small talk, she mentioned how she breeds Goldendoodles. My mom and I simultaneously gave each other a look, and we both knew that we wanted one. She proceeded to tell us she had one boy Goldendoodle left from the litter. It felt as though it was meant to be. Our hopes went down a little as she informed us that another family might want him. We told her that if the other family did not go through with adopting him to give us a call. A couple of days went by without receiving a call, but we continued to pray every night that we could add another addition to the family. My dad was not as on board as my mom and me to get another dog, because he was still grieving the loss of Sam. We made a deal with him that if the other family got the dog, that we would drop the whole idea, but if they don’t, then he was meant to be ours. A few days later, my mom and I decided to go to church on a Sunday night, and the whole ride there we talked about how God has a plan. In that moment, we chose to let whether or we got a dog to be in his hands only. Just as the church music stopped playing, we received a call from the breeders saying that the puppy was still available, and that he was ours if we still wanted him! My heart began to race because we were about to go get our new baby boy. When we finally got to PetSmart after what felt like an hour-long drive, we were handed our beautiful Goldendoodle puppy. He had blonde sandy fur and looked just like Lulu did when she was a little. The whole ride home, I held him close to me. He never barked and he laid so calmly in my arms like he was meant for that moment. He had the sweetest puppy breath, and because I knew the time would fly, I savored that moment. When we got home with him, Lulu was terrified. She jumped and ran away from him just like Sam had done with her when she was a baby. Lulu was now the one that was sad because it wasn’t getting all the attention anymore. We spent days fighting with each other about what to name him, because we wanted it to be perfect. My dad mentioned the name Mac and I loved it. It was special to me, because I remembered that he had named Sam. After days of Lulu being so mad at me and running away from Mac, she finally came around and began to play with Mac. Lulu was so used to being the baby, but now she had to become the big sister.
Trusting and believing in God is so important to me. Looking back, God played such a huge role throughout the entire process. He knew I would grow up with such an amazing dog and best friend. He knew that I needed to sleep with my sister the night before Sam died. He knew I would see yellow butterflies that would always make think of Sam. He knew Lulu needed Sam, but now Mac needs Lulu. Life is beautiful and dogs make it even more special. Without Gods timing and plans, I would not have been so blessed with the most amazing people family and dog family.
reflection
I decided to write my personal narrative on my dog I had for 14 years of my life. I choose to do it on this because he was a big part of my life for so many years and him dying was a very painful time in my life.
I planned out my essay by making sections for each of my dogs. Sam was the dog I had for 14 years so I started with his first.
I then added a section for Lulu who has also been apart of my life for many years.Then I added a section for my dog Mac that I just got a couple months ago. I also added a a section for the climax of the story when Sam died.
I began writing my essay with the facts and I had to go back and revise it to add more description. While adding more description in my essay I tried to include similes, metaphors, vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
As my peers were editing my essay they noticed I did not add much description. I tend to get straight to the point during essays so I was stating facts instead of describing the moments. I went back and basically had to edit every sentence to make sure I added more description. The class activity that we had to write descriptive sentences helped me a lot to see what that looked like. Also in that same activity, it helped me work on my transitions as one of my peers said I needed to work on them. I went back in my essay and tried to make sure I was transitioning smoothly and efficiently.
Also, the student conference helped me a lot because my professor told me I was using the tenses wrong. I went back in my essay and made sure that if I was talking in past tense that I wasn't writing in present.
In my writing process I found it was helpful for me to think ahead and plan what I was going to talk about. It was unproductive for me to start wringing the essay and then think what is the message and purpose I want to tell through this essay?
On future writing assignments I think it would helpful for me write down what the message I want to get across is before I start writing.
If I had to give myself advice two weeks ago, I would have told myself to be descriptive and to not just state facts.
I planned out my essay by making sections for each of my dogs. Sam was the dog I had for 14 years so I started with his first.
I then added a section for Lulu who has also been apart of my life for many years.Then I added a section for my dog Mac that I just got a couple months ago. I also added a a section for the climax of the story when Sam died.
I began writing my essay with the facts and I had to go back and revise it to add more description. While adding more description in my essay I tried to include similes, metaphors, vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
As my peers were editing my essay they noticed I did not add much description. I tend to get straight to the point during essays so I was stating facts instead of describing the moments. I went back and basically had to edit every sentence to make sure I added more description. The class activity that we had to write descriptive sentences helped me a lot to see what that looked like. Also in that same activity, it helped me work on my transitions as one of my peers said I needed to work on them. I went back in my essay and tried to make sure I was transitioning smoothly and efficiently.
Also, the student conference helped me a lot because my professor told me I was using the tenses wrong. I went back in my essay and made sure that if I was talking in past tense that I wasn't writing in present.
In my writing process I found it was helpful for me to think ahead and plan what I was going to talk about. It was unproductive for me to start wringing the essay and then think what is the message and purpose I want to tell through this essay?
On future writing assignments I think it would helpful for me write down what the message I want to get across is before I start writing.
If I had to give myself advice two weeks ago, I would have told myself to be descriptive and to not just state facts.