Sometimes, a good cry can awaken healing within your soul.
No matter if your beloved pet passed away several years ago or just a few days ago, your sadness and grief are real. It's funny how sometimes our society will tell us how and when we should "get over" our pet's loss.
If you're like me, you know deep within your soul you'll never "get over" the loss of your pet, but by the grace of God, you'll "get through it" with dignity, perseverance and resounding resilience.
By allowing ourselves to cry without judgment, we honor our unique mourning process, our personal truth, and our beloved pet at the same time.
I'm sure you noticed I said: "without judgment."... Do the ugly cry, the make-up running down your face (for ladies) cry, the snot in your beard (for the guys) cry, the simple cry, the soft cry, you name it... do it, my friend, do it.
Permitting yourself to cry is one of the most loving things you can do for yourself.
Here's what I want you to take away: Cry when you must and never suppress your feelings, as we both know that doing so can be detrimental to our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. We don't want that, do we?
Whether you allow yourself to cry for a single minute or 15 minutes, it's the most honoring thing to do. You never know what is on the other side of this experience. Go there.
And for those who are a little fearful of crying (that you may never stop crying or that someone will see you or the self-judgment that's not helpful), here's something I learned long ago.
Sometimes, we're not afraid of the "thing"; we're afraid of not being able to handle it.
You will get through this.
Keep your heart tender and allow the tears to come when they might because your healing and love story are worth it.
From my heart to yours,
Rachel