Darkness. Loneliness. Pain. These are three words that, though strong, fail to describe the loss of a pet. To say it is like losing a family member still doesn't seem to sum up the loss. Why do we allow ourselves to get so close to creatures with life spans a percentage of the length of ours? Maybe, because we just can't help ourselves. Anatole France stated: "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." There is truth to that statement. We have a cell, hormone, or trait that draws us close to creatures that we even name and, for some, have birth certificates and clothes. Thus, the loss is deep and pierces the soul.
Sadly, there are few words of comfort. Friends and family may try, but their words come out empty. You may hear words like, "so why don't you get another one." Well, we didn't lose a Chevrolet. What was lost had a personality, feelings, and our heart. Another just does not replace the pain.
Recently, we lost our almost 7 year old male cocker spaniel to H3N8, the doggie flu. Sadly, he passed away young and youthful. One day playing with his tennis ball and chewing my wife's fine Ralph Lauren linen, to the next day laying on the floor lifeless. The loss is not only felt by my wife and I, but by his two older sister cockers. One continues to look for him, while the other stays in her dog bed all day and refuses to eat. Yes, other pets mourn as well. Some breeds can be so close to each other that they actually mourn to death. We pray that doesn't happen with ours. How could we describe that pain?
It is said that time heals all wounds. If that is the case, then the deeper the wound the more time it will take. For those of you who have had to bury your non-homosapien loved one, you know the pain all too well.
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