Inspiring Essay About Patience

Few moments in a person’s life occur that come to define them, but the time when my childhood dog was hit by a car was one of those times. Shadow was our beloved family retriever, and he meant something different to all of us. He spent countless hours next to my mother, while she knitted, and hummed to herself. She waddled around the garage and barked at birds while my father worked tirelessly on our old Oldsmobile. For me, he was my friend, and he helped me with the seemingly endless anxiety I experienced as a child.
When he was hit by an old Buick in our neighborhood and taken in for surgery in the only emergency clinic near our home, I was beside myself. My parents looked nervous and worried, but it seemed to be only on my behalf. It was not until later that I realized I must have looked so terrified and upset. That was the worst panic attack I had ever had in my life. I sat in the waiting room twisting a bandana in my hands, locking and unlocking my ankles, sniffling, and asking every thirty seconds if I could go see my dog.
Of course I could not. Shadow was in surgery for two hours for two torn ligaments and a dislocated hip. He had experienced blood loss, and for most of the surgery, we did not know if he would live. I was young, I was anxious, and my blood felt like it was vibrating in my veins. I imagined him sitting next to me, panting rhythmically like he always did, and I tried to be patient. I tried to remember how his soft long fur felt under my fingers when I petted him as I tried to breathe more steadily, and I regained my bearings. He would live, he had to live, he was not done playing fetch with me in the yard, or bothering dad too early on Sunday mornings for leftover eggs. Though every fiber of my body wanted to scream, cry, and run away, I was patient, calmed myself, and waited for Shadow like all of the times he had waited for me.
That day I took the first step toward defeating my anxiety. Better yet though, Shadow lived. He came home to us and lived to a ripe old age, which we ensured was safe and car accident free. I always remembered the two hours spent at the vet, and took care to by patient with myself and my anxiety, something I owe to Shadow every day.