EMBRACING GRIEF
Written by Tamara Macaluso August 4, 2020
Grief is an experience that we all inevitably must face over the course of our lives. There are countless types of losses that can trigger the onset of grief, one of which is having to let go of a beloved animal who has touched us with their presence. This loss can leave pet owners with an immeasurable sense of anguish and heartache. Allowing ourselves to express and embrace the depth of our sorrow, and to feel the river of emotions flowing through us, can serve as an act of grace for each of our individual journeys on the path to healing. Grief is like a bridge, when crossed by each of us in our own way and time, can gently lead us to a field of openness and expansion of our hearts, which is a reflection of one of many gifts our precious animals came here to teach.
Grief can be an incredibly powerful source of development and is a portal to healing. In the following poem, each letter in the spelling of the word "Grief" holds its own special meaning that can help us navigate through the process when the time comes for us to say goodbye to our cherished pets and release them into the arms of Love.
GRACE
Grace is a gentle and ever-flowing waterfall of divine assistance that is available to each of us with every breath we take. Grace is the thread that weaves together the moments in our lives. It envelops us like air – invisible, yet always there to sustain us. Grace can regenerate strength to endure trials in our lives. The loss of a cherished pet can swallow us up and send us spiraling into an abyss of sadness and despair. Grace holds our hand and gently walks us through as we mourn. Grief is grace in disguise. If we allow it to, grief can open our hearts and humble us and break us open to a new depth of love. Grace comes bearing gifts in many different forms, including grief, all of which eventually lead us to love and the home in our hearts. A river of grace flows through each act of letting go.
REMEMBRANCE
Grief can be viewed as an act of love to those we have lost, including our beloved pets. Remembering and honoring those we cherish are genuine expressions of the depth of the love we harbor for them, and can serve as a therapeutic and healing balm to our soul as we navigate our way through the heartbreak. Our individual paths to healing can be welcomed by memorializing and paying tribute to them in a variety of ways as we remember and reflect on treasured things such as days that were sacred and meaningful to us, the countless ways they lit up our hearts, and the gifts they left behind that are forever imprinted on our souls. Remembrance is a powerful act of love which not only honors those we've lost, but radiates out and soothes and caresses the hearts of all who embrace it.
INDIVIDUAL JOURNEY
Grief is a visitor that inevitably knocks on all of our doors during the course of our lives. The essence of the visitor is the same for us all, yet it wears different disguises – the end of a relationship, the death of a family member or friend, the loss of a job, the passing of our pets… How each of us responds when we greet this guest at our entryway is an individual journey, and we must meet it face to face in our own way and time. The universe provides an abundance of assistance moment by moment when we are ready. Grief can break us open and expand our hearts and create a passage to a portal for healing. This pilgrimage is sacred, and ours to uniquely experience as grace embraces us every step of the way.
EMPATHY
When we are open to genuinely feeling and expressing the storm of raw emotions that move through us during the grief process, it can create a corridor that can guide us to a deeper healing of our soul, and empathetically extend outward to those around us. When we find our way out of the depths of despair that can consume us, we can emerge with more empathy, kindness, understanding and sensitivity toward others, which are all extensions of love. Empathy is a jewel that shines brightly and radiates outward. When we make use of the tender and broken within ourselves, love creates a passageway into the hearts of others.
FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
The journey through grief is a winding path with its own set of twists and turns for all of us, but which ultimately leads to coming home to the realization that the door to our heart opens to the place inside of us where those we've lost live on forever, including our beloved pets. The essence of their being caresses our souls and leaves their everlasting mark on our hearts. Every time we remember, honor, and embrace how they touched our lives and the lessons they came here to teach, we can join with them in that place they hold in our hearts that connect us eternally. The heart space is boundless and magical and unites us all together in an eternal flame of love which can never be extinguished.
Written by Tamara Macaluso
August 4, 2020