For plenty of people, the Holidays are the most wonderful time of year, as the song suggests. Christmas is a magical time for many of us, especially children, and some of my fondest memories with my parents and my sister include the anticipation of Christmas Eve and the joy of Christmas morning. As joyful as … More The importance of practicing mindfulness during the Holidays
Two of my good friends recently endured a very hard loss. They found out that one of their beloved dogs was riddled with cancer, and they decided to end his suffering out of respect for him and the love and joy he brought their family. Both of my friends are taking the loss extremely hard, … More Understanding the grief of losing a pet
Continuing our discussion from yesterday about grief, I wanted to extend the topic into another post because it is one that warrants attention and relevance. As awful and heartbreaking as grief is, it is something that affects most of us at some point in life, and because it can be such an overwhelming and confusing … More Navigating grief (part two)
I have always considered grief to be a fickle thing, and one that is unique to each person who experiences it. There is no clear manual on how to grieve, or what you’re supposed to feel, or not feel, for that matter, and considering grief is often the result of loss, it can make emotions … More Navigating grief (part one)
A few days ago, I went to a funeral visitation. The individual who passed was a relative of a friend of mine, and while I didn’t have the privilege of knowing this person while they were alive, I wanted to attend to support my friend in this time of need. I’ve been to a number … More Grief: a fickle process
In yesterday’s post, I explained how my family recently and tragically lost one of our dogs. Remi was an Australian Cattle Dog and was only four years old before her life was cut short, and her passing has taken a toll on our family, understandably. When it initially happened, I’m pretty sure I was in … More Grief: not always navagational
Yes, we are here, once again, revisiting the topic of the ability words have to allow us to feel and experience things we didn’t know were possible. I’m an English major, and I’m a sucker for beautiful writing. Forgive me. As I’ve stated in the past, if I read something that resonates with me deeply, … More The power of words
A couple of days ago, my sister and I were going through our camera rolls on our phones, scrolling through some old pictures and reminiscing. I came across a photo I had of our cat, Milo, who we sadly lost a couple of years ago. He was an absolute sweetheart and went missing one day, … More Recognizing different types of grief
Hardships, among other negative occurrences in life, are inevitable. It’s a bit of a harsh reality, but its validity remains constant; life isn’t a walk in the park for the majority of us, and it is highly probable that we will encounter situations at times we rather wouldn’t. Hardships and obstacles can take many different … More Here is why we need to stop comparing our own hardships to others
Not too long ago, an individual my family has known for many, many years passed away. This certain person wasn’t technically our own family, but may as well have, and we were and remain to be rather saddened to learn of their passing. After I heard the news, I started thinking about death. I realize … More Recognizing the intricacies of grief
Death, in life, is inevitable. That sentence is a bit of a paradox, but the statement remains to be true; we are born and we die, some sooner than others and some later, and it is an element of life that cannot be avoided (unless you have superhuman powers or you’re a vampire some shit). … More Have you heard of this unique way to remember lost loved ones?
Dogs, if you have or have ever had one, are one of life’s biggest blessings. They truly are some of the most loving, loyal, and special animals to walk the earth, hence why losing them is a loss that cuts so deep. My family and I lost our dog Sam several years ago now. He … More The harsh reality of losing a dog
I should likely start this post by stating that while the title indicates that my advice pertaining to this topic is absolute, it certainly isn’t. I’m no therapist or counsellor, but perhaps my approach to the topic can help someone who is struggling. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s begin, shall … More Coping with bad news: a how-to guide
My entire life, I have always stressed that only dog people are able to comprehend how difficult is to have a furry friend leave you. My family lost one of our pups, Sammy, a blue heeler, roughly a year-and-a-half ago. It was quite honestly one of the most difficult experiences I have had to endure, … More Can losing a dog be harder than losing a person?
The recent passing of my Oma has encouraged me to contemplate the concept of both funerals and celebrations of life. Although I have never attended a celebration of life, I know many people who have, and by the sounds of it, they’re a lot more meaningful than funerals. Don’t get me wrong; funerals are important. … More Funerals vs. celebrations of life
ontheedgeofeverything 