Pets and Grief -
"SoulCollage® as a Rememberance of Love"
By
Kathryn King MSW
SoulCollage® Facilitator
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
~Anatole France
If you have lost a pet, I invite you to make a SoulCollage® card in its honor.
Our love for animals does open a special door for us. Animals also have the ability to awaken our hearts. We revel in the joy of these precious creatures being in our lives and learn from their loyalty, ability to be in the moment, their zest for life, and unconditional love.
Animals provide a safe place to love openly and in return, to be loved fully for who we are. There is no pretense with an animal. They love us with every inch of their bodies, instantly forgive our mistakes, make us feel important every time we come home, and call out our tender and care-taking sides. They provide companionship in this hectic world where our family and friends may live far away. No wonder we love them so much!
The time will come for animals we have loved to leave their earthly body behind. It is something we know in the back of our minds. We try not to think about too much because it feels devastating to even imagine not coming home to them. Perhaps if we did remember that they are temporary gifts we would slow our lives down and spend more time looking in their soulful eyes and scratching their bellies.
It may be hard to believe but I have lost three Australian Shepherds in the last four years. All of them died in the month of November. Poco was 16, Aruba died suddenly at age two and then last November we lost Buddy to cancer. The heartbreak of losing so many beloved companions in such a short time is impossible to put into words. Those of you who have lost pets know exactly what I mean. In many ways, to lose a pet that we have had as part of our daily lives is harder than losing a person. Our relationships with people are complicated by nature. Our love for our animals is simple and pure.
Making SoulCollage® cards for each of my dogs has been the one thing that brings me comfort. The process of cutting and pasting their photographs onto powerful backgrounds was the beginning of my healing process. I lit a candle and allowed my tears to freely flow. I soon realized that the cards would help hold the energy of their love for me and hold some of my grief of their deaths. Sometimes the cards begin speaking before they are fully glued down... "I Am One Who will always love you", "I Am One Who will guide you from the other side", "I Am One Who believes in you." The cards continue to speak to me and so I experience these relationships as still being alive and well. I believe that my Aussies continue to guide me.
Let your SoulCollage® card for your pet speak to you as you do the IAOW exercise with the card. If it was a family pet, it can be very powerful to make cards together as a family as each family member will have had a slightly different relationship with the pet. Let each person share their card's wisdom and perhaps light a candle as well. Put the cards somewhere special in your home, on the mantle or some other central place. Your pet's presence will continue to bring you comfort. Even if the death was long ago, make a card and allow it to hold some of the grief for you.
Is your animal companion still alive and well? Make a SoulCollage® card now! Don't wait for the pets passing to fully honor its presence in your life. Capture their essences in cards and remember to be grateful to have them in your life. It is both their lives and deaths that serves to awaken our souls. I know that I will one day lose another well-loved Aussie. I embrace that opening of my heart and soul. SoulCollage® has been the perfect way for me to support this opening of my own heart and share it with a world that is in desperate need of hope and love.
Kathryn King MSW is a Facilitator living in Vancouver, WA. She has a passion for pets and the people who love them and now offers grief counseling, ceremonies, and SoulCollage® classes to honor pets that have passed. www.eastwindceremonies.com
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