Our grief never truly diminishes – we just grow around it.

When you lose a pet, there is truly nothing anyone can say or do to make things better. Many will try their best to help ease the situation and it is always best to remember their intentions are good and they just want to help.

With that being said, grief never really goes away. I saw this graphic about a month ago that really resonated with me showing how we continue to grow around our grief but it never really shrinks.

(I could not find the original creator of this graphic to credit. If you know, please email me and I will update this blog post.)

To me, it’s more of an adjustment to the new normal that only time seems to help ease. During the last 4 months, I have found the most comfort in a couple of things.

Writing down your feelings – No matter how small, this helps. I would find myself just wanting to say something to Brew or tell him I love him. I would write that down and it helped me feel a little better or just get through that moment.

Talking to others going through the same thing – I attended a pet loss support group online with others who had recently lost their pets. It was the first time I shared what happened to Brew and was able to listen to other stories. It was comforting to do that and have the support of the others attending.

Everyone is different and grief can come in waves. You may find yourself fine at one point and then suddenly it hits you. There are so many different ways to deal with grief so it’s okay to let yourself feel and experience whatever emotion you need. I’ve added some book recommendations that have helped me in addition to some online support/chat rooms.

Books: 

Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski

Signs From Pets In The Afterlife: Identifying Messages From Pets In Heaven by Lyn Ragan

Support/Chat Rooms

1. Pet Loss Message Board: http://www.petlossmessageboard.com/?forum=62448
2. Pet loss chat room: https://www.aplb.org/chat-2/
3. Online Pet Loss Support Group: https://vetsocialwork.utk.edu/pet-loss-support-group-2/
4. Online Pet Loss Support Group, VetVine: https://www.vetvine.com/article/661/vetvine-virtual-pet-loss-support-group-calendar#global_content