Our beloved cat, Little, died. He was 14. While I try to remember all the sweet and loving times with him purring in my lap – and I do part of the time – I remember the last day when I found him and he was nearly dead already. I was shaking so badly I wasn’t sure I could drive him to the vet. But like a good mom, I managed.
He was fine the night before. And then he was gone. All of his intestines were enlarged and he had sepsis in his belly.
New Grief Triggers Old Grief
The thing about new grief is that is brings up old grief. The old grief is stimulated – physiologically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. As I mentioned recently, it’s been 18 years since my daughter died. And less than two years since mom died. And I miss my grandparents who died when I was in my 40s (I was lucky to have them so long). It brings up the grief of miscarriages. And so on. I miss my son, who is alive and well, and at college.
Self-care When Grieving
What we do when grieving is take really good care of ourselves and each other. Say yes or no when those answers are the best self-care. Allow others to care for and support us. Being really, really, really close to my husband is a huge help. His physical presence, love, and warmth calms me even though he is sad, too. As a couple it is imperative that we are in each others’ care. In the good times, and the hard times. Keeping in close contact with my son helps us both.
I’ve been working with an endocrinologist to get my thyroid levels corrected. He was so caring on the phone yesterday when we had a regular appointment to talk about my health. We ended up talking about Little, and he acknowledged the love and bond, and that it’s losing part of the family. He talked about grief affecting hormone levels in the body, too.
Day of the Dead Grief Ritual
Good friends of mine have been doing an annual Day of the Dead grief ritual for nearly 20 years. It’s on November 5th. You can get further information.
Death: the Taboo Topic
Our culture doesn’t like death or grief. We don’t like to talk about it or deal with it. However, grief doesn’t go away. If it’s not addressed, it goes inward, and comes out one way or another. You can “deaden” yourself, or be up and happy and ignore it. But it takes a toll on all of your systems. Many people get ill and don’t know why. Many people’s relationships change somehow, but they don’t know why.
Dealing with grief isn’t easy. It’s messy and painful. And human. And necessary.