Grief Comes and Steals One’s Heart

 I have had the honor to be present for many breaking hearts due to the loss of a loved one. I have walked into the space of amazing pain. And felt the barbs of the pain of grief.   
 
It has been said we grieve because we have loved so much! In loving, we reveal ourselves to the point of trusting and allowing ourselves to be sincere and vulnerable. 
 
Please know that I’m so respectful of each loss and the way people grieve the loss of their loved ones. However, some of the most tremendous grief I have witnessed has been the death of a beloved campaign—our pet. For those of you who are animal lovers, you know how we see our pet as our best friend and perhaps our teacher, coach, and someone to whom we reveal all our secrets. Our animal (pet) is our constant companion, our furry confidante. 
 
When I have facilitated grief support groups for those who have lost a loved one, I always state, “Please do not compare your loss to another’s losses. Each loss is unique. Grief comes dressed in many different robes and has different expressions for everyone. 
 
My neighbor recently had to put her ill cat Zack down because of a long illness. Zack had been nursed and loved by Cathy and her husband for 17 years.   
 
Zack was a significant presence and pure love. No doubt, losing Zack felt like losing a part of themselves. 
 
Zack, once a playful kitten, grew to be a wonderful presence in the household of Cathy and her husband. Zack could not have asked for a better home for the love from Zack’s playmates Ellie and Cathy, and her husband was the greatest you could ever imagine 
 
Cathy felt like she had lost a part of herself. They were inseparable; Zack was her constant companion; no greater love was there than the loss of a faithful animal.