Everybody handles what life throws at them differently. Some people take it like a grain of sand while others take it like a whole desert.
I recently lost a pet, one that I was most affectionate towards because she would snuggle me the most out of my family. I've always been good very good at handling death. I've been attending funerals or wakes since the age of six. I've dealt with putting my dog down when I was a child. I've had more friends and family members pass in the past few years than some of my friends have had in their entire lives. Death is something I would consider myself familiar with, but for some reason this time was different.
My pet passed suddenly this past weekend. She was sick that afternoon and that night died mid seizure. I came home to find her wobbly and dazed, so naturally, getting my parents seemed the most reasonable. I watched my dad hold on to my baby as she passed and for some reason watching how incredibly peaceful she was in the end really hurt me, considering that morning I had spent it curled up in the yard with her sleeping on my chest.
Like I said, death was something I was familiar with, so why should this be different? Well, for starters, this pet was a baby, only a few days old. It was my favorite. Imagine your favorite pet just dying. It was different because for the first time it was fully my pet, not the pet my parents had taken care of, essentially she was my baby. It brought a whole new breed of anxiety as it was an experience I had never seen with my own eyes. Ive seen people after they die, and been there while my dog got the shot right before, but this was death in front of my own eyes.
Some people run from death while others try to find positives from it. I am one who always looks for positives. On the bright side, she wasn't suffering from whatever illness had taken over her anymore. There's also a positive lesson for me to take away that taught me how to handle medical emergencies for my future pets. If they're sick or something is not right, I will know how to handle whats going to happen to them. It won't come as a total surprise. It also taught me not to get too attached to anything. I know it's a pet, and animals are one of the best things ever, but it's something you need to know will leave you sooner than you think. I read something once that said that a pet may just be a part of your life, but to them you are their whole life. It hits incredibly close after losing a little buddy after three days which leaves me with this...
Whether it be your family, friends or pets, appreciate them. Let them know that they are loved more than they can imagine. Before they're taken away by a higher calling, let them know how much they mean to you and that you cherish all that they do for you. Death comes, and the grief and mourning afterwards come in waves, some a small crest while others a huge roller. There will be days where you miss them more than others, and times you wish you had one last moment. But before those days come, let them all know how much they truly matter to you... even if they only understand pet language.
