When I was sixteen, I lost my dearest friend and closest friend, Gracie. Just only living for about six years, she had made such an impact in my life. She was coated in soft yellow beige fur and have a larger and more muscular than normal statue; she was a Labrador Retriever. She also was a little chubbier than most Labrador Retrievers. But hey, Gracie loved her food. Every morning She would wake me up because she always knew what time I woke up on the dot every time. So every morning, I would wake up to her load breathing and whining. Little did I know that one morning, she would not wake me up.

It started off early 2018. My family and I started to notice that Gracie seemed more fatigue and weak. For example, when we put the leash on and try to take her to the park, she always gets undeniably excited, runs around, and jumps in the car, but one day, she stopped doing that. When we put the leash on her and guided her to the car, she did not even have the energy to hop in the car. Grace not having energy was something that was very uncommon, so that is when my family and I knew something was up. Consequently, we took her to the veterinarian. There were lots of load noises consisting of barks, purrs, and whines, indicating we were in the right place. The veterinarian then took Gracie in, and I was finally going to find out what had happened to my dearest and closest friend. After doing some tests, they realized Gracie’s blood count level was scarily low, and the veterinarians had no idea what was wrong. So, the veterinarians decided that it was necessary to conduct more tests, so they did. Over the course of April, Gracie had lots of appointments, all of which she hated. But, sadly, one day in late April would be her last visit.

It was a overcast day in April when I was called into the front office. I was told to answer the phone so I could talk to my mom who was trying to contact me, so I did. She then told me the unfortunate news of Gracie’s last day. I was confused, upset, and distressed. At the time, I wanted an answer right then and there. I wanted to understand why it was all of a sudden, if I could ever get over it, and why God had to take away Gracie so early. I was impatient. But, I checked out of school and made my way over to the veterinarian. There, I saw Gracie’s last breath. I went home, cried, and slept for the rest of the day. I was sad, upset, and impatient with God. I thought I was never going to find another best friend again. But, over the course of the next month, I started to find hope. That month, I established patience, a gift of the Holy Spirit. I started to tell myself that I would soon be at peace again and that all I needed was patience. I was right.

After about two to three months of mourning and slowly getting more patient. My mom told me that there was a dark golden Labrador-terrier mix ready for us to pick up at a rescue place. At first, I was in shock and started to wonder. Was the new dog going to be as sweet and friendly as Gracie? But, I did not let my thoughts consume me, and I became patient, so I could meet the new dog for myself. The new dog’s name was Natalia, and she was just as sweet and friendly as Gracie. After a month of staying with our family, Natalia became my best friend. She laid by me while I did my homework, always greeted me, and even slept in my bed, that's when I knew the patience paid off. Because I was patient and understanding of Gracie’s last days and the mourning that followed afterward, I was able to find a new best friend.