The loss of a family pet.
Sadly, we said goodbye to our beautiful fur baby Bella over the weekend. Even though it was hard, we find comfort in knowing that she is not suffering.
Growing up, my family had many, many pets. So, the experience of losing a pet was not foreign to me. However, this felt unexpectedly new. It was the first time I saw grief through the eyes of my children.
My family did not talk about the passing of a pet. It was just a fact of life. It seemed strange to me at the time but as I got older I realized that it was just how my parents were raised. They did the best they knew how to do in any given situation. However, left with so many questions about death and a sense of it all being such a mystery, I wanted it to be different for my kids.
Since they were old enough, my husband and I wanted to make sure they felt informed. They understood that Bella had cancer. They were able to ask questions. We knew we had a limited amount of time left with Bella. So, we lived her best life while we could. We dressed up for Halloween, took our annual family photos, and celebrated her 6th birthday a month early complete with birthday cookies and toys. We even put on Christmas music and celebrated with even more squeaky toys.
It was such a beautiful day when we said goodbye to Bella. The kind of day Bella enjoyed the most with cool but not cold temps and the sun shining down on her. She was surrounded by so much love. We told the kids that it is okay to feel sad and not be afraid to cry. There were what seemed to be hundreds of tears but each one merely a reflection of the hundreds of smiles she brought to our lives. And although I’m not sue if my son can find the words to express how he feels, I hope there is no mystery about this for him or my daughter. My wish for them is that they will look back on this time with only fond memories about the joy in their hearts that Bella brought to our lives.