LOSS OF A PET
No time on earth is long enough to share with the animals we love, or prepare our hearts to say goodbye.
Teddy was my “first love” and losing him was sudden – it felt like someone ripped my heart right out of my chest. Teddy was our tiny 2.5 lb. Yorkie and it still breaks my heart to say that he was killed by a big dog. I wasn’t home when it happened, and I’ve wished over and over that I could somehow change that day.
Bear was Teddy’s son, and he was my second love. Losing him was also painful, but very different than the sudden loss we experienced with Teddy. We had to put Bear down because of a cancerous growth in his mouth.
There’s never enough time with our beloved pets and losing them is the inevitable day we always dread. Even though it’s nearly impossible to “get over” the pain of loss, the only thing we can do is work ‘through’ the pain.
If you’re reading this after losing your special friend, there are likely people in your life who just won’t understand the connection you had with your sweet companion, or the grief you might be feeling. However, there are MANY of us who totally get what you’re going through right now.
When it was raw and the pain was at its worst, I wanted to know when it would get better. When will the pain go away? All I can say is that for me, the pain doesn’t ever really ‘go away’, but what does get better is that the tears lessen with time, and the memories mean much more than you ever knew they would. Funny, how writing this has brought back the tears.
Reach out to people who understand this kind of loss and express your feelings in whatever way feels comfortable for you. I find that it’s harder to work through grief when I keep it bottled up inside. Allow yourself to go through the process, and as you do, I caution you to avoid the temptation to fill that empty space with a new pet, too soon. When you’re ready to give a new little one ALL the time and attention he or she deserves, you’ll know that you’re not trying to replace the loss you feel, but rather choosing to expand your love to another beautiful soul.
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I found this article to be helpful and I hope you’ll feel the love from your fellow humans who understand the bond we share with our beloved companions.
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