Grieving the loss of my beloved dog Kashmir

[aquinnah]

Can anyone help me with advice on grieving the loss of a pet? She was hit by a car in front of my house a little over a month ago. I really loved her and sometimes I still get overwhelmed with sadness and anger. We adopted another pup but I don't have the relationship with her that I did with Kashmir. She's just a baby and requires a lot of patience. Sometimes I feel like Kashmir was the only creature on the planet that I really trusted, and the only creature I knew that had unconditional love for me. I miss her so much and sometimes it seems too hard to go on. I'm mad at my boyfriend for not building a fence, I'm mad at myself for not making her come into the house earlier. She usually stayed in the yard but not that night. When does the pain ease? I've lost both of my parents, at age 7 and 17, but this loss at age 38 is much, much harder. Thank you for any help you can offer.

[Catriona Lovett]

I am so sorry for all the losses you've had. Perhaps the loss of your pet has reopened the old wounds, that is the way of grief. It never really goes away, it just settles into one of the back rooms of your mind and you go on. Every now and then you encounter something which recalls the grief, but it becomes less painful over time only because you've gotten used to it.

Our kitty just took himself off to die somewhere this week. He had a heart condition and the heat was just too much for him. I had little hope that he would survive this time, and when he asked to go out one last time we all felt he was being called to whatever afterlife cats enjoy. All energy, even life energy, can be neither created nor destroyed, it is only transformed. I feel some comfort in knowing that.

Please don't blame yourself. Poor creatures, they live so short a time compared to us -- you'd think we'd reconcile ourselves to the inevitability of their loss, but we never do. He was such a small furry bundle of pure love, we will miss him for a long time. My children, especially my youngest is having the harder time coping, and I suppose it helps me to find my place to grieve because I have to be strong for them.

Brightest blessings to you and yours, may your burden become lighter with each passing day.

[Azure]

Sending you all the good energy I can. I had the exact same thing happen just a few weeks ago.

May your dog run in the fields of the Blessed with joy, and greet you when you pass over from this place.

And may the Divine, in time, bless you with another worthy canine companion in your life.