baww thread time

We had my first dog for 16 years, almost as long as I've been alive. A long time, I know; he was really healthy for a long time, and could outrun most of the younger dogs until the end.

He had been acting strange for a while. He'd walk slow, and kind of hang his head in a sulk. But any time I'd go to pet him, his ears would perk up and his brow would lift, as if he were smiling at me.

It was a Sunday night, almost exactly three years ago. I didn't have school the next day, because it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. So I stayed up late watching TV, even though I thought I should spend some time with Bernie because he was just lying around all day, not even getting up to greet me. This was unlike him, and I could tell he was getting close to the end. But I figured that I'd have the whole next day.

Well, I came down in the morning, and he didn't walk up to me like he usually did, tail wagging and jumping. He was just laying still, right where he was when I went up to bed, and before I could go over to try and wake him up, I lost the game.