What does the poem convey about the effect of simple but significant experiences in people’s lives? Refer to specific detail from the poem to support your response.

That morning started like any other. I was peacefully dreaming when the slobbery, wet kiss of my brother’s golden retriever woke me from dreamland. My shrieks must have woken everyone from here to Zimbabwe and back. Flailing like a land stranded fish, I knocked myself out of my own bed.
“JOOOOOOOSSSSHHUUUAAA!” I screamed his name at the top of my lungs. My brother appeared in the doorway in all his stupid glory. At that moment, I was thinking about how the star child should really learn to train his dog. He could get A-pluses in all his courses and lead his basketball team to become state champions but he couldn’t keep his own dog out of my room.
“What’s up, sunshine?” he asked, a smirk forming on his face. I scowled as I got up, untangling myself from my blankets as I went. His dog happily trotted out of my room past him.
“Keep him out,” I snapped, throwing my blankets at him. He let them slid off as if it was nothing.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied innocently with an airily wave of his hand. He disappeared from my door, shutting it, to give me some privacy to change. Ten minutes later, I was downstairs in the kitchen, scowling at my orange juice.
“Seriously, what did your juice do to you?” My gaze shot up when I heard Joshua’s voice. I scowled at him instead. “You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep doing that.”
“You’re a butt face, you know that?” I responded, rather childishly. I downed my juice in one go, nearly choking on it. I could hear Joshua snicker but I ignored him. Muttering incoherently under my breath, I got up from the table and stomped out the back door. Much to my chagrin, Joshua was following me.
“You said you’d go riding with me today,” he whined. I took long strides across the field between our house and the stable. I didn’t respond.
“You’re seventeen. Go riding by yourself,” I answered. When did I say this? I had to be watching TV at the time or doing my homework to actually say yes to him. Besides, what seventeen-year-old asked their fourteen-year-old sister to do stuff with them? Seriously, Josh needed more friends.
“But you said-“
“Fine! Shut up! I’ll go riding with you!”
I could practically hear his lips crack into another stupid smirk.
We entered the stable t the sound of greeting from the few horses there. Automatically, I made my way to the honey-colored mare the in the nearest stall. She was my baby that my dad so lamely named Honey. But I wasn’t going to argue with him. Technically, she was his so I had to let it slide. I let myself into her stall and began preparing her for a ride. Joshua did the same, but only to the dark gelding, Amber. Within moments, we left the stable and were riding across the field to our typical horse trail.
We lived in what could be classified as the middle of nowhere. It took us nearly an hour drive to reach school. The next closest ranch was at least twenty minutes away. This mean Joshua and I spent most of our time outside of school together, for lack of better companions. That didn’t make me like him anymore.
Our ride was quiet for once. Joshua wasn’t talking non-stop about this or that. He was just enjoying the sights and sounds of being outside in the wooded area. I didn’t try starting a conversation. It would only make him go on.
We reached the ridge that overlooked a clearing. Our mother used to take us to picnics here. We both dismounted, as if we had the same idea. Inwardly, I scowled at having the same idea as Joshua, but in the end, it was a nice idea. We sat down on the wet grass by the ridge edge, overlooking the large clearing before us. On the opposite side of the clearing, a herd of ten horses snacked on the bright green grass. I focused my eyes on them.
The horses were beautiful. I probably could watch them all day.
“Hey, Liza.” Joshua’s voice broke the silence. I tilted by head to show I was listening. “Will you take care of Amber?”
“What?” I was too lazy half the time to drag myself outside to look after Honey. Why the heck would I look after Amber, too?
“I’m moving out in a couple of months, remember, dummy?” Oh, right. “Amber’ll need looking after.”
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
Silence took place again. The herd went trotting across the clearing, their manes blazing behind them.
“You’ll come home for holidays and stuff, right?” I asked.
“Probably not. I’m going to be in Europe, remember? It’ll be too much of a hassle.” He grinned. “You must feel lucky. You don’t have to deal with me waking you up so earl, then hogging the bathroom.” I rolled my eyes.
“What a joy.”
The herd had left the clearing. The open space before us suddenly seemed gloomy. I stood up and walked back to Honey. Joshua looked back at me.
“Going already?” he asked, sounding somewhat disappeared.
“Yeah. Unlike you, Mr. Genius, some people have to do this thing we like to call homework.” I got up on Honey and turned her back towards the trail. She seemed a little reluctant to leave Amber. I kicked her into a trot.
“See you later,” he called after me.
“Yeah, whatever.”
On my way back, it began raining. Not that that would bother Joshua. He loved the rain, the big loser. I frowned. I was going to be an only child at home soon in the span of a couple of months. And then I wouldn’t have to see Joshua’s ugly mug everyday. Possibly not ever, if he never plans to leave Europe. Something would make him stay there; I knew it. Europe was a beautiful place. Joshua loved beautiful things, like that hot girl that sat in front of him in Physics. That thought made me snicker briefly. My frown returned. My parents were rarely at home. My one source of conversation was in Joshua, no matter how argumentative it normally was. In most senses of the word, he was my best friend.
Sighing, I decided I was going to try to be nice to him over the next few months. I didn’t like the idea of losing him, to be completely honest, so it was the least I could do. I had two months to make up for a lifetime of smart-aleck comments. I needed to get on that.
‘I will never forget’ this ride. It put a whole two months into perspective.