Everyone knows that animals lives are cut much, much shorter than a humans. But when you take a pet into your home, that knowledge is sort of pushed to the back of your mind. You think of them more as a member of your family that will always be there. I grew up with my golden Brittany for almost 12 years. From age four to almost seventeen she was a constant comfort, and irreplaceable friend. Two weeks ago a tumor inside of her ruptured. She was bleeding internally, and there was nothing I, or any member of my family could do. We had to say goodbye, a goodbye I could never have been prepared for. In the vet office I stared into her deep brown eyes for the very last time. I wrapped my arms around her, the way I have for 12 years, the way I could almost feel her hugging back. I pressed my tear covered lips on her golden forehead and whispered in her ear, "You will never leave me." It was the most emotional and difficult thing I have ever done in my life. Through the heart renching pain these past weeks have brought me I have discovered a few things. To take a dog into your home is one of the most amazing miracles you can ever experience. I am confident that a dog is so much more than an animal. My Brittany was my own guardian angel. She watched me grow from a little child with pipe curls, into a teenager, 5'7''who still would get down on the floor and roll around with her. For her entire life she watched, loved and protected, with out uttering a word. So tell me, what makes a dog different from a guardian angel? Nothing! It's just a horrible feeling to think I will not see her for so many years. But I can still feel her watching, and I can still feel her loving, and i hope to God that she can feel me too. And I can not wait for the day we can cross that rainbow bridge together. I will never stop missing my girl, my sister, and my very best friend.