December 1, 2011. That's when I heard the news. That's when my life changed forever. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting of the couch, looking at the app IFunny on my phone, when my mom and dad told me they had to tell me something. By the look on their faces and the way my mom's bottom lip started quivering as if she was about to burst into tears, I knew it was bad news. And boy was I right. They told me how my dog, Bruce, had cancer. Oral melanoma to be exact. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Bruce was sitting right next to me with his tail wagging, happy as ever. How could something so perky and innocent be dying of cancer? He wasn't showing the signs. He wasn't tired all the time, he didn't look frail, nor did he stop eating. He was still the same Bruce as yesterday and the day before that. But now he had cancer.

It was weird. It seemed as though the moment I heard the news, Bruce's condition started going down hill. He starting vomiting blood, sneezing out blood, and he wasn't eating as much. In fact, we started feeding him only waffles because that was his favorite. I'm not sure if my mom made them for him constantly because he wouldn't eat normal food or if she just wanted to spoil him for his final days. Whatever the reason, Bruce had a waffle for breakfast and dinner every day.

I cried constantly after I heard about his cancer. My sister and I would try to do an activity with him everyday to keep our minds off of it, and to insure that his last days were filled with fun. We took him to the dog park multiple times, would buy him special treats, or take him for a walk around the lakefront. One day, me and my sister woke up, and went downstairs. When we saw Bruce, his face was swollen shut. My parents were at work so we decided to just take him to the vet in case. While we were checking in, I distinctively remember a random lady asking if he got stung by a bee, and if that's why his face was swollen. Yeah, I wish it was a bee sting.

After the vet saw him, he just said it was one of the side effects so he gave him a shot and told us that the swelling should go down in no time. I never wanted to scream more in my life. This wasn't fair! Why us? Why would God do this to us? I didn't understand! None of us did.

About a week later, Bruce's health hit rock bottom. He stopped eating completely and he just slept 24/7. One day, when me and my sister got back from school, Bruce was continuously throwing up blood. We came to the realization that he would have to be put down. As soon as my mom got home, she agreed. We knew he'd have to be put down eventually because that's what the vet told us but we didn't know it'd be so soon. When we got to the vet's office, my mom checked us in and we all waited outside with Bruce, saying our goodbyes. The thing I remember the most is Bruce's tail wagging. It really struck me hard that even though he feels horrible and he changed so much, he's the same Bruce, in the sense that, even on the brink of death, he's still wagging his tail.

Eventually, the vet came out telling us its time. We didn't have enough time. We didn't have enough time to say our goodbyes. Enough time to do all the things we wanted to do with him. Enough time to return all the love that he gave us.

When we entered the vet's office, we were all sobbing and the vet, who happens to be a family friend of our's, meaning he personally knew Bruce and the love our family had for him, gave us a long speech to help us get through it. I don't really remember what he said, but I know that it helped. After about an hour, he told us what's gonna happen and how they are putting him down. We didn't stay to watch him get put down which is one of my biggest regrets in life. When the going got tough, Bruce always stood by. We didn't. The time when Bruce needed us the most, we weren't there for him.

The next day in class, my religion teacher was telling us how all things happen for a reason. She wasn't aware that my dog died, it was purely coincidental. She also told the class a story. The story was about two traveling angels who stopped to spend the night in the home of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed so they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, laid dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen? This family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "Last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

That story really struck me. My sister has a liver disease and it could very easily kill her. Maybe the angel of death came for her, but because we are good people, he spared us but had to take Bruce instead. At that moment, I realized that some things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you need to trust that the outcome has a purpose. You just might not know it until some time later...