The death of pet can hurt as much as the loss of a relative

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-death-of-pet-can-hurt-as-much-as-the-loss-of-a-relative/2012/02/21/gIQALXTXcS_story.html?hpid=z6

How I Am Doing

Grief is like the ocean;
it comes on waves ebbing and flowing.
Sometimes the water is calm,
and sometimes it is overwhelming.
All we can do is learn to swim.

-- Vicki Harrison

Creation

When God had made the earth and sky,
the flowers and the trees,
He then made all the animals,
the fish, the birds, and bees.
And when at last He'd finished,
not one was quite the same.
He said, "I'll walk this world of mine
and give each one a name."
And so He traveled far and wide,
and everywhere He went,
a little creature followed Him
until its strength was spent.
When all were named upon the Earth
and in the sky and sea,
the little creature said, "Dear Lord,
there's no name left for me."
Kindly the Father said to him,
"I've left you to the end.
I've turned my own name back to front
and called you DOG, my friend".
         
— Author Unknown

A Prayer for Pinuki

You were my good friend. We never had a single conversation, but we understood each other. I still keep thinking you’ll be there waiting for me when I open the door. The house is empty without you. I miss you more than others could ever understand.

I thank you for being my companion in times of joy, and my comfort in times of pain. I was fortunate to have you in my life and I know your life with me was a happy one.

I will remember you with joy and a smile. May God bless you. Amen.

A Prayer for When a Beloved Pet Dies
by Naomi Levy

Blessings

People are having profound spiritual experiences with animals.
They are learning about God's ways by observing the animals
who bless their lives and share their homes.
The Divine is working through animals as vehicles
to bring more love, wisdom, courage, and comfort into the world.
Animals are good for human health -- physically, mentally, and emotionally . . .
animals are also good for our spiritual health.

-- Allen and Linda Anderson, in
God's Messengers: What Animals Teach Us about the Divine
www.angelanimals.net
angelanimals@angelanimals.net

Dogs in Our Lives

We aren't house-proud. If we were,
we wouldn't abide the scratches on the door-frame,
the holes in the screen,
the darkened shine of worn spots on the chair.
We would wince at the mottled carpet
and fret at the hair clinging to our clothes.
We don't.
If anything, we lovers of dogs are a tolerant lot,
finding greater value in the unabashed affection of our friend
than immaculate sofas.  Shoes can be replaced,
but heroic retrievers are timeless.
Without dogs, our homes are cold receptacles for things.
Dogs make a fire warmer with their curled presence.
They wake us, greet us, protect us,
and ultimately carve a place in our hearts and in our history.
On reflection, our lives are often referenced in parts
defined by the all-too-short lives of our dogs.

-- Paul Fersen

OMG Kind of Gratitude

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=gXDMoiEkyuQ&vq=medium