Quote for the Day

Death ends a life, not a relationship.

                                                     ~ Jack Lemmon

Quote for the Day

As I see it, compassion is the essence of a spiritual life.

 

~ Dalai Lama

After the Holidays

     The holidays can be an especially trying time if you have an unwell animal or have suffered a recent loss.  Sometimes getting through them can seem like a relief, and other times it can be a real let down when the glitz and busyness of the holidays are over and you are left with "regular" life.

     Make sure you make time for you.  Caring for your animal can be exhausting and tireless work.  When you combine that with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, you can be left feeling completely drained.  See if a family member, friend, or neighbor can help out for a couple of hours so you can get a break.  Give yourself permission to take some time away.

     This time between the holiday rush and the New Year can be a very powerful time of reflection, contemplation and preparing for the new year.  It is a great time to make a memory book, scrap book, plan a memorial garden or play with art.  Even if you have never painted before, you may be surprised how good it feels to get some brushes and paint, then put your emotions and feelings on canvas.  For some people, the feeling of clay in their fingers can be hugely satisfying.  For others, collaging or scrap booking may be inspiring.  Try something new, express yourself.  Don't think about the finished product, just how it feels to play in a new medium.  See if you can lose yourself in creative expression.  You don't have to show the finished product to anyone - you don't even have to keep it if you don't like it.  It is about the process, not the product.

     Remember - winter is a time of hibernation and germination.  It is a season of quiet.  This is often a time of great internal work and growth.  Spend quiet time with your animals who are alive and with the memory of your animals who have passed.  See what they might have to teach you if you are quiet and listen.

Quote for the Day

Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.

- Leonard Cohen

Introducing Memory Books and Videos

     We are now making custom memory books and videos of the highest quality for those wishing to celebrate or memorialize their companion animal or that of a loved one or friend.  For more details, click here.

Holiday Wishes

May the holidays fill your home and heart with love.

Pack Grief: Signs and Suggestions

     When you lose a member of your "pack", your companion animals are likely to grieve also - whether it is a human member or an animal one.  The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals conducted the Companion Animal Mourning project in 1996, studying the effects of death on both cats and dogs.  In their study, 66% of dogs showed signs of distress and 65% of cats showed 4 or more signs of distress.

Read on for signs to watch for and what you can do to help...

Quote for the Day

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through
experiences of trial and suffering can the
soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.

 

-Helen Keller

The "What Now?" Moment

It’s that time.  Your pet is at the very end of life and you know he or she will be passing soon, whether naturally or through euthanasia.  We call this the “What Now Moment” because sometimes the passing itself can seem awkward and anti-climatic.  You have been working so hard to care for your pet and in an instant it is over.  You are left with many emotions and you don’t know what to do.  

Everything we know about grief tells us that to process the grief, we need to act.  That’s why people have rituals and why people feel moved to bake, cook, write cards, send flowers, offer a lending hand.  We begin the healing by doing.