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Health & Fitness

Saying Goodbye to your Beloved Animal

Saying Goodbye to your Beloved Animal
Authored by Matthew Mitlas

Owning and taking care of a pet is one of the most joyful things to experience in this lifetime. From the day you adopt your new animal friend it seems a lifetime of memories is made: the cute nuances of each pet, the funny pictures, the walks in the park, giving them their favorite treats, even cuddling them to sleep. In time, caring for a pet teaches one the responsibilities involved in loving and caring unconditionally for someone/something other than themselves.

Over the years, as your relationship grows with your pet, they become part of your family! All of your friends and family members have grown accustomed to your little (or big) companions- they ask about him/her, take care of him/her when you take a vacation, and sometimes spend more time with them than they do you! (can you blame them? They are just too cute!). As years go by, however, and our friendly companions start to get older, complications occur. Health begins to deteriorate due to age and illness and many are placed in the unfortunate circumstances or being a 24/7 caregiver. We are all too familiar with the constant watching-over of, the numerous scheduled (and sometimes unscheduled) trips to the vet, the possibility of being financially burdened due to the costs of medicines and treatments, and the over-all stresses of having someone’s life in your hands. Soon, the day comes when we have to say goodbye to our friends as we lay them down to rest in peace.

Saying goodbye to your pets is one of the hardest things to do in life. Surely all have their own unique relationship with their animal companions. There were probably nights when you spoke to your pet as they listened in silence; the days you came home in a bad mood and your pet was there to console you. And now you feel that all too familiar pang of guilt- that you could have done more, that you wish things did not have to be this way. A part of yourself has broken over the loss of your pet. What now?

We are here to tell you that we understand. We’ve experienced the ups and downs of caring for a pet. We know the hurt involved in their loss. And we want you to know that it is okay to grieve- to let yourself cry, to let yourself reminisce, to give yourself the space to feel what you feel and nothing more. As the days go by, healing will occur. You will receive insights and lessons unto yourself and others, all of which are the departing gifts of your beloved pet. You will be reminded of the beautiful experiences you shared with your pet, of the overwhelming sense of gratitude that you had this amazing opportunity in your lifetime. Know that when you are reminded of them, when you feel them in your heart or see them in the spot where they used to lay, it is not a coincidence. It is a sign that they are still with you, and although their body could no long support their incarnation of spirit, they now exist within you; in the deep, loving space of your heart; in the ethers of the Universe.

So celebrate the times you had together. Move forward with a sense of direction and fulfillment- trusting that you both took from each other exactly what you needed during their stay with you. Know that your pet supports any and all choices that were made regarding their time here on earth. Give thanks for your experience, and know that your beloved animal companion will always rest in peace: In heart, in spirit, in love.

Wishing you all the love and blessings in the world.
*For information regarding our plethora of classes, workshops, and mind/body healing techniques which aid in the healing process of loss, visit www.r3wellnesscenter.com.

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