I am just a character in a video playing on a loop. The video was uploaded 17 years ago, and it has been replaying itself automatically over and over again, countless times.
What was once as exciting as a movie trailer, as thrilling as a rollercoaster ride, and as precious as a diamond has lost its vibrant colors; with each replay, the video brings dread, exhaustion, and boredom.

Everything in my life is scripted. Every day, I wake up, go to school, and then go to sleep, repeating the same boring routine over and over. In this gigantic film called Sora’s Life, I am merely an extra.

But on November 2, 2022, my script changed forever. Sky, a two-month-old Labrador retriever puppy—an angel with soft fur the color of the midnight sky—brought color to my life, rewriting the mundane script with lively joy, unexpected chaos, and mind-blowing surprises along the way.

In the first months, Sky was like a vacuum cleaner. Curiously driven to taste and smell every corner of his tiny world, Sky would lick, sniff, and eat everything non-stop. Sky was intrigued by so many things I had overlooked in my life. Sky would frantically hop around with excitement after picking up a stick or obsessively follow the wheels on a shopping trolley. Sky’s unpredictable yet adorable behavior brought smiles to my face and sprinkled colors of joy, excitement, and love in my monotonous life.

Sky would often suddenly stop walking and lay down on the sidewalk stomach-down during a walk. When I softly pulled the leash and nudged him to stand back up, Sky would look up with his adorable, round brown eyes in protest. Because Sky just makes himself comfortable on the ground and refuses to move, I often end up carrying him in my arms back to my house.

I took countless photos of Sky. Soon, the family group chat was flooded with photos and videos of Sky—Sky cuddling a toy, lying on the ground refusing to walk, being carried in my arms, or sleeping like an angel.

These past seven days, I have been away from Sky for a trip to Australia. Every sight of Australian dogs reminded me that something significant was missing from my life. Throughout the trip, I would scroll through the pictures and videos of Sky in his early months, and small details—Sky’s thin fur, sleepy eyes, soft paws, and short tail—reminded me of the times we have spent together. Now Sky is eight months old, with a gorgeous black coat, ambitious eyes, sturdy paws, and a long tail.

Just as a thumbnail from a favorite scene cannot replicate the essence of the movie, the photos could not capture the precious milestones Sky and I shared together. I hope it is not too late to realize now that no matter how chaotic or exhausting, each day I spend with Sky is priceless. The movie of my life changed with the arrival of Sky. Sky transformed my silent, black-and-white film into an exhilaratingly inspiring action film. Until the day I wrap up, Sky will have a lasting impact on the film.

Life is a live stream, not a looped video. Because, with Sky, no day is like another. Because my precious memories and the times I have spent with Sky cannot be relived. Because Sky will be gone in a year.

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