Expository Essay Some memories are joyful, while others are quite sad, and then the bittersweet moments are a combination of both. These bittersweet memories are often memorable and one that stays fresh in my mind is the coming and going of my Golden Retriever puppy, Chance. I was overjoyed when we first got him and couldn’t have been happier but his death was unpleasant and left me with a bad taste in my mouth for weeks to come. This whole experience taught how to appreciate what I have because you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.

One of the most memorable and impactful memories of my life happened when I was just six years old. It was a chilly day in mid January as I cheerfully scampered off the school bus to dash inside and be greeted by a mug of hot chocolate and warm cookies. I was clumsily toying around with Legos while waiting in anticipation for my dad to get home. The moment I saw my dad walk through the door I darted down the stairs and was shocked to see him holding a large, mysterious cardboard box.

He informed me that contained inside were loads of cupcakes he had gotten from work, but to my surprise when I looked inside I saw a tiny little puppy bundled up in blanket sleeping on the base of the box. I was thrilled at first but soon after my hopes were crushed when I realized this little dog had fatal cancer and only had a short month to live. Due to his horrible condition we named him Chance for his perseverance to survive such a sickly Herring 2 disease. My roller coaster experience with him helped to mold me into the person that I am today.

This memory is so important to me because Chance was the first pet I had ever had the opportunity to call my own and I had also desired to own a puppy ever since I was a baby. Over a short time Chance and I had developed a strong bond from racing around the house and bounding around in the fresh snow. This connection we shared showed me how important companions were and how much I enjoyed having them around me. After a few weeks of living with him he began to show signs of weakness. He would sometimes stumble while walking and even vomit after eating a meal.

I was feeling miserable to see him experiencing this pain so our family had to make a decision. We came to a general consensus that it was time to put him down. After a lot of shed tears and heartache I began to understand the situation in a different light. I had begun to realize life ends and living things don’t last forever. I really appreciated chance for what he was and dearly missed him. The great memories with Chance still remained and helped me to cherish his existence even more. Overall this memory taught me how to enjoy what I have and be grateful because I may blink and not see it ever again.