Man's Best Friend

On Saturday, January 26th 2013, I lost my best friend of 13 years. Although she could not speak and was a little hairy, I never judged. She listened to all my problems and never missed a chance to comfort me. Her name was KC and she was a Golden Retriever.
I met KC at the age of 7 when my parents surprised me with her that summer. She was so little and wild but I knew we were destined to be inseparable. We played everyday and I couldn't have been happier because I'd been begging for a dog since I was 4 years old.
She loved playing with her frisbee, taking long walks, barbecue flavored bones, and coming inside the house. My father was very opposed to letting her inside because of the fur she would leave behind; but my mother and I would bring her in anyway.
KC was born with an ear issue and had to undergo multiple surgeries throughout her life. Once she reached age 11, she was semi-permanently deaf and it progressed as the years went on. It was very difficult to get her attention so it made me extremely frustrated when I was in a hurry. Although I wasn't spending the time with her that I should've, she never missed a chance to greet me as I got home from school and every time I'd leave the house. I still loved her to death although I was selfish and unappreciative.
As I got older and started putting my friends first, my time with KC shortened day after day; my mother would have to make me play with her before and after school so I would hurry and do it so I could run off and engage in other activities. I took my dog for granted and I am just now realizing that.
When I moved to the dorms on the Western Iowa Tech campus in the fall of 2011, my time with her shortened even more as I only came home to do my laundry. My parents live in Moville and it was very difficult to make time to drive there. Since last year, KC was developing what you could refer to as "puppy amnesia" as my mother liked to call it. She enjoyed venturing off around town throughout her life but in the later years she began to forget how to make her way back home. My mother received multiple calls from the veterinarian and would have to pick her up from there; my parents got tired of this so they started putting her on a leash so she would stay in our yard. I didn't believe this was a fair outcome, but it was for the best.
Once I started having family issues I became very distant with my parents so I wouldn't have to hear of them; I had not seen my dog since November of 2012. My mother mentioned to me last week that KC was going to need another surgery and that she would not be able to handle it because of her age; she stated that it was time to put her down. After hearing this news, I reacted fairly well because I realized that KC would be happier in Heaven, and I began wondering if I should go see her.
The days went by faster and faster and before I knew it, it was January 26th. My mother wanted me to go along with her to the Humane Society, but I didn't think I could bare it because I have a very hard time with goodbyes. As I sat in my living room chair, I received a text message from my mother with a picture of KC in her good years; it was followed with a text saying "remember the great life she had!" The tears began rolling down my face.
I instantly began reminiscing my life with KC and all my regrets and that I would never see her again. I was what some people would refer to as a "mess". She was one of my best friends in the whole world and I could even give her 10 minutes of my time. I will forever miss this furry, loving girl and I know that she is watching over me as she runs around and feels free. R.I.P. KC.

Life Story

Brianna Hayes was born on December 15th of 1992. This day was very special because it also turned out to be her mother, Andrea's, birthday as well; and what a gift that was. Brianna's mother was only 18 years old when Brianna was born so she was very young. There were some hardships because Andrea already had a 2 year old son, Sean. 

Before Andrea knew she was pregnant, her and Brianna's father had ended their relationship. When Brianna's father, Chad, learned that he had a daughter he became a part of her life forever. Chad gained custody of Brianna and raised her in Moville, Iowa; She was only able to see her mother every other month since she lived about 3 hours away in Parkersburg, Iowa. 

Since Brianna was an infant, her father had been dating her step-mother, Karri, who loved Brianna unconditionally as if she was her own. Brianna's father and Karri were married in May of 1994. Brianna's mother married her step-father, Jim Bellows, in 1998 which also brought along another brother, David, whom was about 4 years older. She was soon given two younger sisters in 2002 and 2004 named Korryn and Olyvia; they were children from her mother and step-father and they were truly a blessing.

If Brianna was asked whom she looked up to the most in life, it would be her uncle, Bobby, whom was her father's younger brother. She called him "Bubba" which stuck with everyone who knew him. Bubba was killed in a vehicle accident the summer before Brianna reached Kindergarten, she was devastated. Brianna will always remember him by listening to the song "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy, which was played at his funeral.

Brianna was not very athletic, although she tried her best, she found that her best talent was dancing. She danced at an establishment, Dianne's Dance, from the time she was 4 until she reached 12 years of age. One sport that she did find appealing was soccer, which her father would coach; she was involved in that until she reached 8th grade because her high school did not have a team. 

Throughout high school, Brianna was involved in Drill Team, Show Choir, various plays, and Student Council. She was very passionate about all of her activities and took them very seriously. Brianna does not think she would have made it through high school without her friends and her guidance counselor, Mr.  Royer, whom was there for her whenever she needed him. 

When Brianna was about to finish her Junior year of high school, her heart was completely shattered by the loss of her big brother, David, whom was killed in a vehicle accident. This loss changed Brianna's life and the lives of all her family members forever. David was always the life of the party and anyone could depend on him; he was Jim's right-hand man for all his businesses. His death is a very good of example of the quote "the good die young." Although Brianna was very broken by the loss of her brother, she believes that her other brother, Sean, was hit a little harder. Sean and David were able to grow up together while Brianna was just there for visits. Sean and David fought constantly but, then again, they were brothers. Sean was not sure how to react after the death and he has made many bad decisions that will affect him the rest of his life. 

Brianna was named Prom Queen her senior year and views that as such an honor to know that her classmates respected her. She graduated from Woodbury Central in 2011 and attended Western Iowa Tech that fall. She lived in the dorms on campus her first year and moved home that summer.  She realized that her father and step-mother were having many issues because of her father's constant drinking and lack of work. She realized that she simply could not live at home any longer and moved into a house in Sioux City with one if her old high school friends, Lindsey, and two other girls, Hailey and Sarah, that she became very close to after the summer. Brianna also met her current boyfriend, AJ, while living in Sioux City whom has been great to her since day one. A few months ago, Brianna learned that her father and step-mother were getting divorced which was hard because of the fact that she already had parents that were split.

After this semester she will be attending Morningside College to pursue a degree in Finance. Although Brianna has been through many hardships, she has turned into one of the strongest people many of her friends have ever known. With everything Brianna has been through, she really believes that everything happens for a reason, even if you don't believe so at first.