Grief Sometimes Needs a Puppy

We lost our 11-year-old Doberman recently, and the gaping wound it has left in our family is more than I imagined.

There is a lot of advice given to us about how to manage our loss. Heck, I work with grief every day with my clients, so I know the drill. Sit and feel your emotions, let the waves drag you under for a while and rest knowing that you will bob back up. This pattern continues for months and sometimes years.

My boyfriend had thought about adding to our pack before she passed, but the end came fast, and then there was nothingness.

We are headed to another state to pick up a new six-month-old puppy this weekend.

The good intentions and slight handed criticism are abundant right now as people believe we are adopting too soon.

All of us grieve in different ways, and the beauty in life is that we can lean in to support people in how they do it, whether we think they are making sound decisions or not.

This loss is profound, and I am willing to recognize that I need help with my sadness with all the added stress of the world pandemic.

This time I seek comfort in the form of a six-month-old Doberman puppy. I know in my heart that the joy he will bring is necessary for me to continue right now without completely cracking.

I will still sit with my pain and do my Centering Prayer twice a day, I have not abandoned all the tools I have in my skillset for managing myself in times of duress, but I will do it with a friend who at times will disrupt me, and others help me sit a little bit taller.

There is no perfect way to wade through loss in your life.

Spend some time in silence with someone who supports you if you are grieving.

If you do not have anyone like that, come and sit with me.

Free Somatic Therapy consultations always available.