04/11/2024
One year ago today, I ran my first pet loss support group. I’m sure I wanted to puke and I remember I had two people, one of which I asked to be there. Now I’ve got a community that includes people from all over the US and around the world. It’s hard for me to believe sometimes. I decided to plan a last-minute group to celebrate the one year anniversary with my community tonight. In an attempt to keep it on the lighter side, I asked them to describe some of the things they’ve done as pet parents to give their pet a great life. We often focus on all the things we think we did wrong, so why not flip the script? So many heartfelt and beautiful things were said but I could tell, it was a struggle for some of them. We are uncomfortable talking about ourselves, especially when asked to give ourselves any kind of credit. I realized that it was also a struggle because when you are a devoted and dedicated pet parent, you do everything for them because that’s just what you do. So we don’t think we are special or worthy of any kind of credit for taking great care of a soul that we share an unbreakable bond with. A being we love so much AND loves us back unconditionally. Our hearts break into a million pieces when we lose them for a million different reasons. They change our lives while they are here and again when they are leave us. We are never the same and the truth is, that’s how it’s supposed to be. I love providing a safe space for grieving pet parents. They put their complete trust in me and in each other just by knowing they are surrounded by people who get it. I feel like I am the one struggling for the right words now so I’ll leave it at that. I look forward to continuing this journey. 🧡🐾