Pet loss and grief

I have a friend who is grieving terribly over the recent unexpected loss of her beloved dog. And her grief has me wishing to write a bit on grief at the loss of a companion.

It is never ever easy to let our cherished companions go before what we feel is their "time". We know when we accept them to share our lives with us, that they are really only with us a short time, and yet they leave an indelible mark on our lives and hearts. And while we all do our best in caring for them, loving them, sharing our souls and lives with them, the hardest part is also the most compassionate part sometimes.

Not all of our pets are able to pass from us gracefully from old age, some need our help to pass gracefully. And truly the most compassionate thing we can do, is our final act of loving them, and allowing them to pass without pain, without suffering and without fear. I have had too many little souls share my life that I have had to help them pass, it is never the easy choice but is the hard one and the right one to make. And believe me, we all feel when we do make that choice that perhaps there is something we could have done to make it different, we all almost always end up blaming ourselves or feeling guilty that we could have noticed sooner, etc. Sometimes the whole thing just happens way too fast to be prepared or even accept that it is happening.

After my last heartbreaking loss, I pray daily that I get another day to love and cherish those who still share my life. And I have to stop sometimes and realize they are all headed into their geratric years, with two in their twilight years. And those in their twilight years, can develop some interesting new habits or compulsive habits. Sometimes these new habits can be annoying, but then I have to stop and think about how little precious time I may actually have with them, and put up with it or adapt. I also finally realized that some of these habits are a form of senility, and sometimes fear, and that these obsessive habits are a form of a security blanket for them because they don't understand what is happening. Usually they will very rarely allow us out of their sight anymore, as being close is a comfort to them and they need to feel our touch or the vibrations from our speaking to them for comfort.

So I try my best, I love my furkids, I try to spoil them a bit, I work to keep their routine so there is comfort for them in it, and I watch and learn from them every day they are with me. I revel in the beauty they have brought my life, and the compassion they teach me daily, reminding me to keep loving unconditionally. And I cherish those gifts. And I cry for every friend who loses their beloved companion before "their time", because I truly can relate to their feelings of loss and wish I could help them with their pain. But knowing the best thing I can do for them is to be there for them, just listen, and let them talk, cry or be angry.