Losing a Pet

Many people have trouble getting over the loss of a pet. This is an email I got today from an online friend who lost her cat Poker nine months ago. I have another friend in New York who lost his dog and is still grieving so I am posting it for him to read:

"Barb, please forgive me that I'm replying to your message from my other e-mail address but I don't want my husband to know that I'm feeling and talking like this as he wouldn't like it and I'm afraid he'd just think I'm being stupid, OK? I hope you don't mind?

I know that it's going on almost 9 months now that Poker's been gone, but, it still feels like yesterday sometimes (sigh). I seem to see him everywhere, even more so now that Spring's arrived...out of the corner of my eye, just out of my line of sight but enough to make me quickly turn and look, even though my rational mind already knows he isn't there, he CAN'T be there 'cause he's dead, yet, still I LOOK. It's as though he's still here only I can't touch him or hold him or hear his sweet purr anymore...I just miss him so terribly much is all and I still can't believe he's really gone:-( I know it isn't healthy to do this, to hang onto something that's no longer there...I've always had trouble letting go...

Sorry, I didn't mean to go on like that...it's senseless...I should be happy for the years we had together and just move on. I'm just going through some stuff right now which is dredging up lots of pain from my past and so I guess Poker's just one part of a great big pain is all.

Thanks for listening. I'll be fine:-)

And this too shall pass...

G'night,
M