I want you to know you are not alone…
Maybe I don’t know how much your pet specifically meant to you, but I know how you feel.
I know how it feels to love your pet like a member of your family. I know what it’s like to feel lost without them and the hurt that lingers when they don’t greet you at the door or jump up next to you on the couch.
I know how your pet has gotten you through some of the darkest days of your life and how their love has comforted you in ways no one else could. I know your grief and your sorrow, and I want you to know you are not alone.
Every pet I have lost has been tragic. However, Scar’s passing was the hardest. Maybe it just seems that way now because it was the most recent, but it has left the biggest void in my heart. Scar’s death brought up a variety of emotions. Mostly grief and sadness, but it also brought up a lot of anger.
I was angry that even though I had been treating his lymphoma and physically he was doing well, he still crashed on me. I was angry that it happened while we were out of town and I had to rush him into an unfamiliar clinic. And I was angry that I had to make a snap decision on what was best for my sweet boy.
Anger is a normal stage of grief, but it can be harmful if you stay there too long.
After months of hesitation, I eventually reached out to counselor. I figured she wouldn’t be able to tell me anything that I didn’t already know. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I had to find a way of getting back to a place of gratitude.
I spent so much time being angry that I forgot to be thankful of all the years we shared- all the times I felt comforted by him, all the times he made me laugh, and all the snuggles we shared. He gave me an endless amount of love, and I loved him just as much in return.
Even at the end we show them how much we love them but letting them go with kindness and a little bit of dignity. It doesn’t make it easier, but in time I hope you are able to look back on it and find comfort, knowing that you let them go out of love.
The love we share with our pets is unique. It is a bond that can never be broken even when we part.