The Hardest Post of All

This was the last picture I took of my little Buddy...he passed away last Sunday evening.  I knew I loved the little guy, but I couldn't have even begun to imagine the depth of my grief at his death.  Oh, I know that death is inevitable for each of us, little furry creatures and mankind alike, yet somehow that does not ease my grief.

A couple of years ago, I spend some time in Thailand.  I was extremely impressed the faith and dedication of the Buddhist people I saw there.  I visited many temples and participated in some of the rituals they practiced there.  It was very peaceful.  As I have been grieving this week, I came across a statement regarding the Buddhist way of thinking about death...they seem to have a great understanding of the IMPERMANANCE of life and are quite accepting of it.

As a Registered Nurse, I have experienced death in many forms and many times.  I have always been saddened by the lack of teaching and understanding of death and all that surrounds it in this Country.  I think that most people try to pretend that it will never happen, and they don't want to discuss it for fear they may somehow make it more real.  As a result, when death is experienced, people don't know what to say.  Friends avoid friends because they are uncomfortable, those who do visit or accidentally bump into someone who has recently experienced loss, stumble and fumble over the "right" thing to say.  Actually there really is no right thing to say.  It is enough to let the person know you feel their pain, and allow them their grief.

Every person grieves differently.  There is no "quick" or easy way to grieve.  I also know that there is no such thing as "just an animal" to those of us who have lost our precious "fur babies."  Those little guys and gals become a part of our families.  The grief at their loss is real and lasting and must be worked through just as any other loss.

I have been keeping my little "grand dog" for the past couple days to help keep my mind busy and fill my home with her activity so that it doesn't feel quite so empty.  Just when I think that the last of the tears may be past, I touch something or remember something and I am once again feeling the emptiness of loss.  This will take time...I know that.  I have experienced loss in the past.  I relish the wonderful time and joy I had with my little Buddy and will never forget hime.  He can not be "replaced" with another animal, but I also know that at some point I will seek another little companion whom I will shower with love just as I did Buddy.  There will never be another Buddy, but I hope that I can bring as much joy and love to my next little "fur baby" as what I shared with Buddy.

To those of you who have known this loss, I send my love and blessings...

PEACE, LOVE & JOY


LINDA

For The Good Times

Have you ever awakened with a song running around in your head without a particular reason?

I had that happen this morning.  "Don't be sad, I know it's over," were the first words that popped into my head this morning.  Crazy.  "There's no need to watch the bridges as they're burning..." and so on...I think the line that struck me hardest was "make believe you love me one more time...for the good times."

I think we can all relate to those "good times" and those "bad times."  No matter where you are in your life right now, I'm sure you can remember those "good times."  Wouldn't be amazing if you could remember only those, and forget those "bad times."  Then again, I am sure that those "bad times" are sometimes the points in life where we grow the most.

If life were always easy I don't think we could relate to the struggles going on the the world around us.  I would certainly like to see more Love in this world, wouldn't you?  With war, shootings, bombings and all sorts of angst and fighting going on around us all the times, sometimes the "good times" are hard to appreciate.

Do you remember your first crush?  Do you remember how devastating it seemed when it was over?  But, looking back I'm sure you would agree that it was just a tiny bump in the road.  There are lots of bumps in the road on this journey we call life...some little and some HUGE!  The trick is to learn how to survive and thrive in spite of those bumps.

The bumps never really get easier, but I do think that we learn different ways to cope with them as we age.  I'm not saying you will never get knocked down, never grieve, never hurt.  You will.  But, with reflection and effort and maybe a few hugs from friends you will get up and run again.  You will have more good times.

One thing that is really important here is to say that YOU need to reach out and hug someone today.  Under those smiles we all wear in public are sometimes terribly broken hearts, and just one kind word, smile or hug can help another person over a bad moment or even a bad day.  You see, we tend to get so wrapped up in our own troubles that we forget the struggles of those around us.

I am looking forward to some more good times, but I am sure there will be that balance of bad times to go along with them.  I'm looking forward to love again.  It's been a long time coming, but I'm sure that it will return.  Find someone to share the good times with, because with a friend and lover at your side the good times are elevated to new highs.

I've always said that without the really bad times, you can not experience the really good times to the fullest...I still believe that.  So, HERE'S TO THE GOOD TIMES!!!

PEACE, LOVE & JOY