Navigating Life After the Loss of Your Soul Dog
The passing of a beloved pet can be an incredibly difficult experience. You may not have realized just how much your identity was tied to that furry friend of yours. Now you’re left with the task of learning how to live without them, while also trying to make sense of a new identity and learn how to cope with life after their passing. It isn’t easy, but it is possible.
Allow Yourself Time To Grieve
Grief over the loss of a pet is normal and natural, so allow yourself time to process these emotions without guilt or judgement. Don’t be afraid to take some time off if you need it in order to really feel your feelings and come out on the other side a little stronger. Talk about it if that helps — with friends, family members, even professionals if necessary — and let yourself cry when you need to. This is your journey and there’s no wrong way for you to grieve over the loss of your soul dog.
Honor Your Pet
Find ways that help you remember your pet in healthy ways — you could honor them by creating a scrapbook of all their photos, writing down all your favorite memories together, or even getting a tattoo as tribute. If there are things that remind you too strongly of them (like certain places where you used to take them for walks), try visiting those places less often or not at all until you feel ready enough emotionally to do so again.
Reclaim Your Identity
It can be hard to figure out who we are after losing something so important in our lives, but it isn’t impossible either! Take this opportunity as an invitation from life itself to explore yourself on a deeper level and discover who you were before they arrived and who you are now that they are gone. It might feel strange at first but eventually this will become part of your new identity as well as something special that only belongs between the two of you — a bond that will last forever no matter what form it comes in next.
Losing a soul dog can be one of life’s most difficult experiences but know that it is possible for healing and growth after the passing of an animal companion. Give yourself time for grief and self-discovery, honor your pet in healthy ways, and reclaim your own identity when ready — it might take time but eventually this will become part of your beautiful journey through life. With love and patience, this process can become something special shared between just the two of you forevermore.
