Lola

lola was a dog. she was the sweetest girl in the whole world. when we brought her to the beach, she would run and swim. she was the first dog i ever met that enjoyed the feeling of sand and water on her paws. she was an Australian shepherd mix, so she was big and beautiful. when she died, i felt a piece of me die. i was angry at myself. i blamed myself for her death for years. but as i grew, i saw these photos of her and her soft eyes glowing, even as they blurred out in blindness. i know now she lived the happiest and fullest life till the end. there was never a photo without her smile in it. not one.

"Hey mom, remember when we used to bring Lola to this beach?"
"Yes honey..I do. I'll sure miss that girl."