Pet Loss

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.”

-Anatole France

My beloved cats Sasha and Sherpa are no longer with me. Sherpa passed away in 2015 and Sasha in 2018. They awakened my heart and soul like no one ever has. It’s only been recently that I’ve contemplated bringing another animal (or two) into my life. I’m still not ready and might not be for a long time...

There's no timeline for grief. No moment when you're "done" grieving, because then you'd be "done" loving. Those cats unlocked my maternal instincts, my patience, my fiercely protective side, my playfulness, and so much more. When each of them died, a part of me went with them.

Being their human mama was a tremendous privilege, though it was quite hard at times. They both had health challenges and required extra care and attention, which was draining. I was often told that I went "above and beyond" for them. Nonsense. I don't know how to love with only part of my heart, so I did anything and everything in my power to tend to their precious bodies. I was rewarded with the sweetest unconditional love I've ever known.

My mind knew they weren't my children, weren't my species. My heart didn't care about that and just loved them completely. I’m forever grateful to those amazing beauties for all the love and profound lessons they shared. My heart still aches for them. And always will...

“Grief, I've learned, is really just love.
It's all the love you want to give, but
cannot. All that unspent love gathers
up in the corners of your eyes, the lump
in your throat, and in that hollow
part of your chest. Grief is just love
with no place to go.”

-Jamie Anderson