PASSING OVER THE RAINBOW OF GRIEF

If you’re reading this, chances are you have a pet. Chances are you’ve had many pets over the course of your life, from the family dog that came before you were born, to the latest cat in your household. It also means you’ve probably experienced the loss of a pet, and the grief that comes with that loss.

People are sometimes embarrassed by their feelings when a special animal passes. “I couldn’t stop bawling when Mittens died…and I never even cried at my grandpa’s funeral.” Human relationships are deep and long and often complicated, as is the grieving process that follows when we lose a loved one. What’s not as complicated is the utter sadness we feel when a pet dies. Mittens was YOURS. You raised her, fed her, played with her, held her. And you were HERS. Her person. Her caregiver. Her life. 

It’s important to acknowledge that loss and know the feelings you have are valid. It’s easy to be derailed when a constant companion is suddenly not there. Looking after your basic needs (eating, sleeping) and maintaining routine and continuity are important for you and for the other pets (and people) in your home. 

Equally as important is letting yourself grieve by setting aside a time or place just for that purpose. Maybe you take a long walk where you and your pet loved to go; perhaps you meditate and reflect on and embrace happy memories. Animal loving friends will listen and lend a shoulder to cry on -- they’ve been there. They understand.

And if that dog or cat or horse held a place in your heart that you know will always be theirs, memorialize that special pet in a real way. It may not be practical to build a shrine for every furry friend we say good-bye to. But we can make a keepsake, specific to each special pet, to wear around our necks, or catch the morning light in the kitchen window, or arrange in a “rock garden of love” -- a beautiful collection and reminder of the colorful, special, and memorable pets that have filled and enriched our lives.