Tomorrow I am offering anticipatory counseling session to prepare an anxious human with a golden retriever for the inevitable .”goodbye”… despite the 9 year old canine’s current state of good health. Most people wait until the event occurs and are often devastated and unprepared as if they believed their pet would live forever. Preparing ahead of time to offer what I call “The Final Gift of Love”: by accepting it early in the relationship, without fear, dread, or denial can help us avoid the trauma of this “unexpected” event, which is of course inevitable. We will usually outlive our beloved pets. It is a fact of life. Accepting the joy of everyday we are given by a simple and grateful statement can help us help them to a peaceful and beautiful transition. “Thank you god for another day with ‘Holly.’ was my mantra. Gratitude is powerful . It makes every moment count, every day can be joyous so later the regrets do not overwhelm us.. Gratitude while our beloved is still here will remove the dread, terror and denial and ease the pain of the loss when it comes. And it will come, as part of the process It also creates a loving and happy life for your pet who does not have to live in the shadow of your anxiety. .I wrote about this in White Rose. It’s also excerpted on my bereavement site:
http://yourpetloss.com/the-final-gift-of-love/The End of the Journey
http://yourpetloss.com/the-final-gift-of-love/The End of the Journey
