Missing a part of Christmas
Associate editor Macy McClish in happier days with her beloved Tarzan.
You can never really appreciate something or someone until they are gone.
I lost my pup, Tarzan, on Oct. 30 of this year. He was my best friend for 15 years. I have never felt as numb as I did that day. I honestly do not remember anything that happened. I walked around in a blur just trying to get through the day without any tears. I did not succeed.
For one second, for one brief second, his trembling stopped and he looked at me with those big, beautiful, brown eyes as if to tell me goodbye.
— Macy McClish, 11
His death was unexpected, to say the least. We all had that haunting thought resting in the back of our minds, but we did not know it would be this soon.
It was 4:30 a.m. My dad barged into my room, quickly shaking me awake. I was confused and disoriented as I stumbled down the hall into my parents bedroom. My mom and brother were on the floor with sullen looks. My mom had Tarzan in her arms. He was shaking and jerking every which way. He had a seizure, and my parents knew he needed to be at peace. It was an excruciating sight.
I took Tarzan from my mom and held him for the last time. I held him as close as I physically could. I did not want to let go. I did not want this to be the last time I ever got to hold my puppy. For one second, for one brief second, his trembling stopped and he looked at me with those big, beautiful, brown eyes as if to tell me goodbye.
Tarzan was an old dog, but he still had the spirit of a puppy. He would stare at you until you would scratch his ears, and he would immediately become your best friend if you had a blanket in your lap. He might have not been the smartest in the bunch, but it was easily overlooked.
He was the best pup anyone could have asked for.
— Macy McClish, 11
After school, I would let him walk out to go get the mail with me. He would get so excited when I would walk through the door. He would jump and bark and spin in circles waiting for me to set my bag down and let him out.
He was my buddy when I was home sick, accompanying me in my Netflix binging. Anytime I was crying, he would lick the tears off my face and refuse to leave my side until I was calm. He was the best pup anyone could have asked for.
My house has become too quiet since. There’s no one to greet me whenever I come home. No one to come wake me up in the morning. No one to cuddle with. No one to sneak cheese to under the table.
The Christmas season has made me miss Tarzan even more. The Christmas after we first got him, Tarzan had somehow managed to chew on the ornament I had gotten as a baby. So every year after that, Tarzan and I would hang it up together. This year was the first year I hung it by myself.
He absolutely loved Christmas morning. Honestly, he was probably more excited about it than either me or my brother. Tarzan had his own stocking which we would fill with treats, and, without help, he would dig out the packages, unwrap them and sometimes even manage to open them.
Whenever we would begin opening our presents, Tarzan would be so excited he seemed to unwrap our presents for us and later take the balled up paper and shred it to pieces. He had so much fun in the morning, he would be out for the rest of the day.
It has been a difficult couple of months, and I know that it will take some time for the pain to dull. To get a new dog right now is unthinkable. Tarzan was loved so much, not just by family but friends, too. Needless to say, he will never be forgotten.
Hey! I'm a senior and this will be my third and sadly final year on staff. I am currently one of the three editors-in-chief and the senior drum major for the band. I'm a true coffee addict who loves all the pups. In the rare situation I'm not on the band...
Brayden Miller • Jan 7, 2019 at 10:32 pm
Dear Macy McClish,
I feel your pain I have had many dogs but there was only one that was special too me like Tarzan was to you. His name was spot he half miniature dachshund and half chi weenie with spots all over him he was the cutest dog ever and I loved him more than my family. When my came over to my house he would always go and give then kisses but back in 2009 my mom gave him back to my Tia and I was so mad at her and sad I remember not going to school for three days. Then one day my Tia called me and told me Spot had gotten out of the fence and he had heart attack in the road and got ran over bye a car and died .I miss Spot so much he was the best dog I could ever own. My mom tried replacing Spot other things like fish or turtles one time she even brought home another dog but it just didn’t feel the same without Spot.