I would venture to say most of us have grieved the loss of a pet. We recently said goodbye to our sweet Havanese, Moxie, just shy of his 16th birthday. We knew the day was coming due to a number of health issues combined with his age. The day it happened though was very unexpected. We didn’t know the night before, when we lifted him into our bed, that it would be the last night he would sleep with us.
Our family was wrecked and heartbroken. Our girls had to say goodbye via Facetime. Not the real thing but we were very grateful for FaceTime. Camille Marcotte said it well: “I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you; but instead I am deeply honored knowing you spent the rest of your life with me.”
While we knew so many understood exactly what we were going through, we were so incredibly touched by the many kind words and gestures. It made me realize I haven’t been as thoughtful as I hope I am going forward.
Calls, Texts, Social Media Comments
I thought calls, texts and social media comments were the norm. But I didn’t expect those with whom we aren’t necessarily the closest to take time to reach out or leave a comment on social media. People can be so incredibly kind.
Sympathy Cards
We received a few sympathy cards with handwritten notes. How thoughtful.
Sweet Treat
One friend sent a sweet treat to lift our spirits. A kind gesture for a friend who is feeling very sad.
Donations
One friend made a donation in Moxie’s memory to our favorite animal rescue, knowing we support and love that organization. A very thoughtful gesture and a way to directly impact the welfare of an animal.
Flowers
Completely unexpected, we received flowers from a friend and flowers from our girls. Both were heartfelt and I lost it when I opened the card from our girls, as I knew they were feeling the loss in every way we were, and at that time I didn’t think to do anything like that to ease their pain.
Books
One of our daughter’s friends sent her a book. For all ages, this is such a great gift. There is a companion book called Cat Heaven, too.
Memorable Keepsakes
We received a painting or our best boy, a candle with his likeness on it, a Christmas ornament with his phot and a garden stone with his name to appreciate when plants bloom and the garden grows.
I don’t know where most of these items came from, but I imagine Etsy is a great source for personalized gifts like these.
The loss sure is hard, isn’t it? Winnie the Pooh said it well: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
We would love for you to share your suggestions so we can add them to this post.
