This is really beautiful. All of our journeys with grief are so individual, but there is so much that connects them. I’ve often thought that our grief over animals is so pure, it’s so easy to shed those tears. No old anger, resentments, guilt. Pure loss. I’m losing my mom to dementia and it is emotionally so complicated, the grieving so gradual. When it’s over I’m really not sure what that grief will look like. Yet when her sweet cat died, the one I helped her care for, despite my allergies, so he could stay with her at her facility, I was so full of sadness, pure grief. I’m sure some of those tears were for my mom. But it was his death that made me pour out my loss. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Thank you, Tara. And beautifully said. I couldn't agree more. Losing our pets--this "pure loss" as you described it--was originally its own piece. And I realized over time that the grief from these losses were as foundational as any others, and were part of a greater familial and communal narrative for me. Thank you for reading and engaging. Sending you and your mom love and ease!
This is really beautiful. All of our journeys with grief are so individual, but there is so much that connects them. I’ve often thought that our grief over animals is so pure, it’s so easy to shed those tears. No old anger, resentments, guilt. Pure loss. I’m losing my mom to dementia and it is emotionally so complicated, the grieving so gradual. When it’s over I’m really not sure what that grief will look like. Yet when her sweet cat died, the one I helped her care for, despite my allergies, so he could stay with her at her facility, I was so full of sadness, pure grief. I’m sure some of those tears were for my mom. But it was his death that made me pour out my loss. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Thank you, Tara. And beautifully said. I couldn't agree more. Losing our pets--this "pure loss" as you described it--was originally its own piece. And I realized over time that the grief from these losses were as foundational as any others, and were part of a greater familial and communal narrative for me. Thank you for reading and engaging. Sending you and your mom love and ease!
Deeply moved by this piece. Brought me to tears reminding on the learnings of my own grief. It is indeed a gift <3
Aww thank you!