Skip to main content

Mourning The Death of a Pet (seriously)

Three postings on Facebook recently by friends devastated by the loss (death) of their pet dog, cat and rabbit respectively, and the outpouring of grief and sense of lost (akin to how I am now feeling after the death of my mother and brother recently) caught me by surprise.

My initial reaction was, "But they are just pets (animals)", was quickly silenced by the realisation that the pain and sadness felt by my friends were very real and revealed something deep about human-animal bonding and the role as well as effect pets have on us.

A quick check on Google reveal a world of sites specifically dealing with pet loss and the grieving process. This whole pet death and grieving process is real and evidently a serious matter!

So to my friends who lost their pets and others grieving a similar lost, maybe these sites and the information offered will help you mourn well and recover:

Most of us share an intense love and bond with our animal companions, so it’s natural to feel devastated by feelings of grief and sadness when a cherished pet dies. The pain of loss can often feel overwhelming and trigger all sorts of painful and difficult emotions. While some people may not understand the depth of feeling you had for your pet, you should never feel guilty or ashamed about grieving for an animal friend. Read more here.

Why is the lost so painful? When we are grieving the loss of a beloved pet, we are actually mourning several losses at the same time. Read more here.

How could the death of a canine possibly hurt as much as that of a family member? As the sadness lingers, part of my grieving process has been to try to understand the differences. Read the rest of this touching article here.

To all my grieving friends, may your come to experience comfort and find peace and maybe one day, another special pet. Peace!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Church Trauma

Christian  communities are expected to be our safest emotional and physical spaces. Even so, there are times this sacred space become toxic, abusive, and traumatizing to a church member when leaders and members of a congregation exhibit actions that fail to reflect the love of God. In the infographic below, four common ways church trauma is caused is identified and explained. I hope the information will help you understand what has happened to you or someone you know in church (or now no longer in the Christian community). The purpose of this post is to promote healing among those traumatized and to highlight practices that need to stop so that a Christian community is restored once again as the safest  emotional and physical space for any child of God. As you continue educating yourself on church trauma and abuse, it’s important to remember that you are not alone. If you need to, seek a mental health professional to help you better understand your condition its impact on your...

The Dream Jacket

New Zealand was cold but he knew just what he needed to keep him warm . . . and to bring him closer to realizing his dream. A leather jacket. He may have told me how and where he got the jacket but I can't remember. All I knew he wore it a lot while studying in New Zealand where he dreamt of wearing it when he rode his big bike. His jacket was part of his dream - to study overseas, to ride big bikes, to be successful - and he treasured it. He eventually returned home and as the years passed, put on weight and no longer could wear the jacket. Furthermore it was too hot and heavy for the humid Malaysian weather but he kept it. A treasure. A memento. A link to a special time in history. But the day came when, out of his generous heart and love for his brother, he gifted the jacket to his brother who was going to Melbourne for a much needed rest. The jacket was received with joy and it served the brother well by keeping him warm and more than that, my continuing its role as memory ...