Death is the Opposite of Birth and Grief is a Natural Reflection of Life


Many of you have experienced the death of loved ones. It makes us numb, sending us into a tailspin and depth of pain and hurt which is terrible to endure at times and many of us also take a long time to accept it and move on, and some of us don't.

This loss also includes our beloved pets and many simply do not understand our grief.

When I lost my beautiful boy Elton in 2009, I was devastated as I share in Memories of my incredible pug, Elton and still think of him to this day and even dream of him sometimes.

Following that was another devastating loss of a new/old heart friend from stomach cancer in 2011 and I still haven't come to terms with that one as yet. 

We become so attached you see to those we hold dear and this is so very natural that we forget that death is the opposite of birth and it is inevitable.

We must participate fully in this dance of life, every single day.

So, I share here this book excerpt from the wonderful Louise L. Hay and David Kessler You can heal your heart.

It talks so very eloquently about death, and dying and the inevitable guilt and grief which ensue and the healing which also must inevitably follow if we are all to cherish the memories of those who have made the transition and continue with fulfilling lives. 

This book shows the way thoughtfully and lovingly.

Honoring Pet Loss

Grief is a natural reflection of life and exists in any relationship where we have feelings and attachments. 

We all mourn for those we loved, for those we disliked, and even for those we hated. 

We don't grieve when there is no attachment. In that context, it seems silly to think that we wouldn't grieve for the animals in our life that we are indeed very much attached to.

Our pets share our living spaces—and in many cases, our beds—and are truly members of the family.

 

Despite this, people who are grieving over an animal that died will often find that they must be very discreet about their feelings and with whom they share them.

 

They instinctively know that they're dealing with a form of disenfranchised grief—a type of grief that other people might deem as "less than."

 

Some have shared their heartbreak only to be met with: "Well, it's not like it was a person. It was just an animal," and "Just go get yourself another pet."

The reality is that grief from pet loss is not as easily fixed as some would have us believe.

 

It's hard to live in grief that's judged as unworthy. Grief is about love, and our animal companions often show us some of the most unconditional love we could ever experience.

 

How often, despite our best efforts, do we absorb some of society's judgments and think, I shouldn't be grieving this much? Yet when we let these thoughts in, we betray our genuine feelings.


To complicate our grief even more around pet loss, we're often clearer on treating them humanely. 

When they're in pain at the end of their lives, despite our wanting them to stay around, we will often choose to euthanize them to make sure that they die in a respectful, dignified manner, surrounded by love.

 

But sometimes it makes the loss a little harder when we wonder if we did the right thing at the right time.

People feel very strongly about their animals. Many people resonate with humorist Will Rogers's statement: "If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went."

Many believe that when we die, we will reunite with all of the people and pets we loved that passed on before us. 

We embrace the concept that death is arriving into fullness rather than emptiness. In other words, when any of us leaves the earthly plane, it will be "standing room only" because we will once again be surrounded by all of our loved ones whom we've been missing so much. 

Let's imagine that scene with our pets greeting us as well. To see their faces again, their tails wagging.

 

Hearing their barks, their meows, their chirps, their whinnies and grunts, and being around all of their other loving attributes. What a tender arrival we will have when we die.

I embrace all the gifts my pet has left me.

I am thankful for all the experiences we shared.

My sweet pet will always be surrounded by my love.

With a perfect blend of Louise's affirmations and teachings on the power of your thoughts and David's many years of working with those in grief, You Can Heal Your Heart will inspire an extraordinary new way of thinking, bringing profound love and joy into your life.

 

You will not only learn how to harness the power of your grief to help you grow and find peace, but you will also discover that, yes, you can heal your heart.