My pet passed away.. How to cope with losing your best friend.

Losing a pet is like losing a family member that you adored.

If you've never been a pet person you may not understand the crushing emotions that come with losing a pet.

My darling Obi passed away very suddenly on August 22, 2022. It's taken me a long time to be able to sit down and write about the experience without turning into a sobbing mess.

Obi was always with me. Always within a few feet of me no matter what I was doing.

He went to bed when I did, his little bed on the floor right beside mine. He got up when I did, he even came to work with me sometimes, but on days when he couldn't he was right there at the door waiting when I got home.

Always happy, always loyal. He gave the best hugs and loved to be held and cuddled.

Then one day he just collapsed. Less than two hours later he was gone. He was only six years old. The seven minute drive to our vets office seemed to take forever, but it didn't matter because it wouldn't have made a difference.

I called my husband on the way to the vet to tell him to come fast because something was wrong. Obi waited until we were both with him, both touching him and telling him it was ok if he had to go, and how much we loved him.

And then he was gone.

We have two other dogs that I love with all my heart, but Obi was my baby. When we went to look at all the puppies he picked me.                      Shoved his way through the others and climbed up as if to say I'm yours, lets go home, and that we did.

Dogs are very in tune to their people. When we got home from the vet the other two knew something was wrong.                                                          The house felt different, like something was missing and they kept going to the places where he would lay and sniff around.

We decided to just shut the world out for the rest of that day and the next. We cried, cuddled our other boys and just comforted each other.

Our lives revolved around our dogs still do but we did everything in threes. Feeding, baths, walks, even vacations were planned to travel with three dogs. Getting used to doing things for two felt awkward.

Picking up the third dish and water bowl was gut wrenching knowing I didn't have to set it down again.

Favorite toys, the bed beside mine, his blanket, have all been tucked away because we aren't ready to get rid of them. Maybe we never will be.

I still think about him every day. I still miss him every day, and my heart still hurts every day.                                                                                                  It's not as bad as the first few days, but it's still hurts.

I maintain my normal routine and do things with a smile on my face, but sometimes a memory slips in and I feel the tears start to well up and the familiar lump in my throat.

He was my little, sweet, loyal, best friend. Everything about him was gentle and loving. There will never be another Obi for me.

Now he is beside me again, but in a little urn that sits in the drawer of my nightstand. My little Obi will always be beside me.

He knew how much he was loved, and we know how much he loved us.

Here are a few tips that have been helping me through this journey:

- Allow yourself to grieve. It's ok to cry.

- Don't try to put a date on when you should be "over it".

-Don't try to bury or ignore the pain. It will surface and you will eventually have to face it.

- Your sweet pet wouldn't want you to suffer any more than you wanted them to, so get up and start living your life again. Keep their memories close and try to focus on the happy ones.

- Write down your happy memories, your feelings, thoughts, whatever you need to. Journaling does help to sort out your thoughts.

- If someone says it was "just a dog" or "just a cat", ignore that. They have obviously never been in your shoes and don't understand the impact these wonderful little creatures have on our lives.

This is a very difficult road to travel. My heart is with anyone who is feeling pain to their very core from losing such a big piece of their life.                     I honestly don't know if it gets easier or you just get used to it, either way it hurts. ALOT.

Just know, time will help.

My love to all our loyal fur babies and the people whose lives they have blessed by being part of them.