Healing After the Loss of a Child

I was no stranger to loss in 2001 but nothing could have prepared me for the heart-wrenching years that followed the death of my 30-year-old daughter. That painful existence was the hardest loss for me to survive and come out of whole. I came to accept my former losses as a separation from other souls outside of myself. With my child’s death, an essential and vital part of ME had been ripped away.

My Path to Healing

“She would want you to be happy”, bothered me more than any other comment from someone. Did people think I wanted to feel this pain and despair? But one day I changed some of the words in that statement and began my healing. “She would want me make something positive out of her death and finish our lives with dignity.”

Overwhelmed with unrelenting grief and regret after Joann’s death, I fixated on what I could have done to prevent so much pain. In my attempt to keep her memory alive with a book, I was forced to refocus. – Payment for Passage

I could no longer comprehend a loving God but I knew that it would take a power much greater than myself to recover from this loss. Somehow, someway, I had to make some sense out of life and find a purpose again to be here.

I began my spiritual climb by reading books that caught my attention, praying for help (even if I wasn’t sure there was a loving energy hearing me) attending spiritual workshops and finding a spiritual mentor.

These are a few of the things my mentor and friend, Emma, has said to me that helped:

“Let all challenges be the fire that opens the heart up. Any broken heart is an “opening” and no matter how much pain comes with such an event, it is an opening that allows one to eventually flow with more Light and Love.” 

“The best thing to do is get on that horse of life and ride it in the direction it is going.” 

“Look at your mistakes as knots you have tied in your spiritual rope to climb higher.” 

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Loss of a Pet

Losing a Companion

I recently received a huge gift from my little dog JoJo. JoJo (named after my daughter Joann) lived 9 happy and safe years after I rescued her. I had to put her to sleep 2 weeks ago. I was there with my hand on her little side as she passed on. In that moment I not only felt her soul rise but also my daughter’s soul transform into pure peace. I needed to feel that peace from both since I wasn’t there 11 years ago when my daughter died. JoJo’s death also reminded me how precious life is and not to waste any moment of it not being myself. Thank you JoJo

A pet, a constant companion, always gives you dedicated love and attention. When this source of love and happiness dies, it brings heartache and a grief process. There are many pets that are loved and nurtured as much as a child. There are some children who receive love and nurturing from their pets as much as from their parents. In my parent’s family album you always see me with a kitten in my hands or a dog by my side. My pets constantly let me know they understood and loved me.

I went into labor early one morning with my first child. Labor began on the day my baby was due so the doctor thought I was just “thinking” I was in labor. It was my first baby – I didn’t know, so I listened to him and waited 8 hour before calling again. Finally, the doctor said to go to the hospital and let the nurse examine me. I did and she informed me I just needed to get some sleep so gave me sleeping pills to take. 2 hours after returning home, the labor pains grew worse and the only soul in the world that believed me about the pain and knew it was time was my dog Barney. He scratched on the door, barked and pulled my husband out of bed to get him to pay attention to me. 2 hours later my son arrived just as they wheeled me into the delivery room. I will always remember Barney and be indebted to him that I did not have my son in my bedroom with no medical attention.

Do you have a cherished memory of a pet that is no longer with you on this earth?

 

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