The loss of a pet can be devastating, whether you are a young child , a senior or you are somewhere
in between. And not all people can understand this and our our reaction to the death of our loved pet.
Everyone's reaction to death, whether it is an adult death, a young child or a pet hamster, is very different.
Some people feel compelled to talk about their friend, while others clam up and say nothing. The grief we show
differs, but the thing we have in common is that we do need to grieve our loss, rather than hold in the thoughts,
we need to let them out.
For the loss of your pet there is a great ebook (ebook meaning you can download it and have access to it right
now) that will help you and your family deal with the loss of your pet. Click here and you will be on your way to dealing successfully with the
loss of your pet, and helping your family to grieve then move on. This does not mean that you forget your pet,
far from it, but you do have to get back to your life again, and learn to cope with your pet no longer being
there physically.
The loss of a beloved pet can be as devastating as losing a family member. Afterall, pets can be more
lovingly unconditional than people. If only the amount of love showered on our pets can be equal to the amount
of years added to its life, our pets would live as long as we want them too. But as everything else that has a
beginning, so too, do they have an ending. Indeed the paradox of loss is at constant play with life: we are
certain that everything ends but we are uncertain when it ends; we are certain how it will make us feel, but
uncertain at how to deal with what we may feel.
So how does a man say good-bye to a beloved pet, companion and best friend who has given him its full
attention, unconditional love and loyalty and even aid in daily living (i.e. blind people with their guide dogs
and policemen with their canine friends, among others)? And once good-byes have been said, how does man cope
with the grief and loss after?
Needless to say, conditioning of the human mind even before a bond has been created between man and beast is
essential and must be established. Man, the rational one in the friendship, and usually the bereaved survivor
of the two friends, must keep in mind always that nothing survives forever, not even the ideal friendship of a
man and an animal. Once the proper conditioning of the mind has been set, it is easier for man to face the
reality of a future separation with his beloved pet.
However, mental conditioning can only do so much when no emotional bonds have been created yet: once man
begins to establish an emotional bond with his pet, no amount of conditioning can ever fully guarantee an easy
way in dealing with a possible separation or loss.
Man deals with loss in his own unique way. There is no definite formula for dealing with the grief over the
loss of a pet. Otherwise, if there is, indeed, a formula, it would come out something as absurd as asking a
doctor to compose a music for his dead pet, or asking a painter to write a book dedicated to his pet. In a
word, what works for some may not necessarily work for others. What is constant with any variable, however, is
the importance of facing the pain. Running away from the reality and pain of loss never helps. Though running
away may momentarily desensitize the first few pangs of pain, the next few ones that will eventually turn up at
times when it is least expected will only become twice or thrice as painful than the first. Acknowledging the
pain, however, helps develop an eventual acceptance over the loss of your pet, and in the long run, even peace
knowing that your beloved pet may be in a place far happier than the one you can ever offer it. By
acknowledging your pain, you are allowing yourself to grieve over lost times with your pet. In grieving there
is remembrance. What better way to give tribute to your beloved pet and what better way to keep your pet alive
in your heart forever than remembering all the times spent together? Eventually, you will find that healthy
remembrance and acceptance of the pain is not only therapeutic but offers a way that will lead you to
acceptance over the loss itself as well.
The next step of dealing with grief over the loss of a pet is through creative expression. A healthy way of
dealing with the death of a pet, or any other loss for that matter, is to discover your own potential for
self-release and catharsis. Try to experiment, through hobbies, sports and interest, on activities that will
keep your mind focused on being productive and creative. In all activities, always be conscious that you are
channeling your grief and loss positively through the activities you are engaged in. Eventually, you will only
realize that your pain has lessened and diminished. The perils of not consciously keeping to mind the
motivation for the activity (which is the pain of loss) may only be equivalent to not accepting and
acknowledging your pain and once you find yourself unguardedly remembering your dead friend, your pet, the pain
may only become twice as hurtful. However, if you keep in mind the purpose for your constructive activity, you
are actually, creatively and productively living with your pain and loss. For artists, it would even help you
include, as your creations’ theme, your departed pet. Talk about your pet. Share photos of your pet. Remember
your pet. Walk to where you often have your walks. The possibilities of calling to mind the joy that your pet
has given you is endless.
Indeed, there is no easy way to forgetting the pain of losing a beloved pet. But perhaps, the paradox there
is not to forget the pain, but instead, to live with the pain. Once this pain is channeled creatively and
productively, you will find out that your beloved and precious pet has done more for you than you ever thought
of in its life and even in its death.
