Death Dying and Beyond

It’s been nine months since I had to put my 17 year old perpetual puppy Teddy down. I still miss him. Part of me thinks ‘oh, c’mon, it’s been 9 months, for heaven sakes, get over it’.  The other part of me, that nurturing, caring part of myself, understands that grief comes in waves and it takes time to integrate the loss of a pet into your life.

There are days on end when I’m fine, and then seeing a UPS truck pass by makes me catch my breath and my eyes may water.  The UPS truck was Teddy’s archnemesis; I believe his deepest desire was to grab one in his teeth and shake it until it died!

Or when I realize I can actually use my chocolate mint since Teddy is no longer here to lift his leg on it – a bittersweet moment.

I have learned I do not have to suffer this grief alone. One of the resources I have used is pet chaplain Sid Korpi’s book Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss: Personal and Professional Insights on the Animal Lover’s Unique Grieving Process.  Grieving the loss of a pet is different from grieving the loss of a human, and it is important when you are experiencing that grief you are surrounded by people and resources who understand that. The last thing I need to hear is “Teddy was only a dog”.

Sid’s natural gift for writing makes this book easy to read and easy to connect with.  It is not written from a clinical perspective, but from a personal perspective. Sid also shares stories of others who have experienced grief over the loss of a pet.

If you know someone who has experienced grieving the loss of a pet, this book makes a beautiful gift.

Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss: Personal and Professional Insights on the Animal Lover’s Unique Grieving Process is available from Amazon for only $14.93, a savings of 32%. Purchase now by clicking on the link or the book.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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