Animals also jostle for a seat at the table, because they know the best chance of getting a bite is to sit below me; I'm the messiest. In my life, I have had 31 pets. I have a distinct memory of every pet in my life. Each pet has impacted all of our lives and brought our family closer together. At the age of four, I stood atop the jungle gym, in tears, as our family took turns giving speeches about Haley; the first pet I lost. When I was eight years old, I shook my mother's hand as the veterinarian came to our house to put down the first dog my parents shared, Chestnut. Even after my parents divorced when I was eleven, events like these continued to bring our family closer together. When I was 17, at Christmas, my father and mother were sitting together in tears, when Angel looked like he was taking his last breath. When I was 14, I was hugging my father when my late grandmother's cat passed away. Again, even years after the divorce, my mother made sure my father's cat received a proper burial. She not only buried Lilac in our pet cemetery, but she also dug the hole herself. You see, our animals consider all members of our family as family. They don't consider my father a stranger. When he comes to dinner, they greet him with the sloppiest wet kisses. This, I know, will never be