Dealing with the Loss of an Animal Companion Part 3

When the loss of an animal companion brings severe sorrow and anguish, we have the option of dealing with it from a spiritual perspective.  Death is not something that can be easily dealt with from a purely physical, earth plane, practical perspective because it is opposite of all of that.   The parting of a soul from a body is spiritual in nature.  We must try to see it from a spiritual stand point.  But, we don't usually have the language for that.  For example "spiritual stand point" - there is no "standing" in a spiritual realm.  Floating might come to mind.  But, that is nothing that we are familiar with.  We think "float" and we are in a body of water, not in the ethers, not on a dimensional plane whose existence is beyond the physical.  In short, we forgot what it was like to die.  

We want to hear the call of our animal companion, feel their physical presence, kiss them, hug them. We want to take care of their physical needs.  But they are no longer on the physical plane of existence.  Yet, they are not gone.  They exist still.  They are alive, but in a state that can feel far away from us.  One way of dealing with loss is to embark on a journey to connect with the spiritual realms. Let's get metaphysical.  

Rocky came to me in a dream.  The dream state is between worlds, this earth plane world and the etheric realm.  They can visit us there because our minds have less resistance.  We are not consumed with the material, physical world while we sleep.  (A sleepless night occurs when our minds are too occupied with the earth plane realm.) It is possible that we ask their soul to come to us in the dream state, to visit and give us a message.  My goat Rocky kissed the head of his companion goat Sunshine, my other son, in the dream.  The message was clear for me to understand.  He was telling me to take care of Sunshine and to allow Sunshine to take care of me.  He showed me with that one image a way to cope with my loss.  Give love and receive love from at least one being who is still remaining on the earth.  

I realized that no matter how hard it is to live without my brilliant, fun, loving, amazing goat Rocky, that if I have at least one other being to love and be loved by, then I can live here.   I raised Sunshine. He is easy to love and fluent in English.  He is also grieving over the loss of his companion, Rocky. Goats form such tight bonds.  They have very deep feelings and their grief can last for a long time. Sunshine keeps me grounded on the earth dimensional plane.  But, I must also allow myself to connect with the higher realms so that I can still feel connected with Rocky.  

Keep open to receiving dreams from your departed loved ones.  That is an easy medium for them to visit.  It is between worlds.  Stay tuned for more blogs on communicating with those that have passed over to the higher dimensions.     

Dealing with the Loss of an Animal Companion Part 2

We're flattened and hollowed out.  We're dried up, yet full of torrential tears.  Our animal companion is no longer physically on this Earth.  What do we do with the energy of grief that could beat us down and create neuro-chemicals of depression that could possibly lead to other illnesses?  We can allow ourselves to grieve for a time, but we must not become chemically addicted to the neuro-chemistry of sadness. If it becomes a habitual feeling,  it can be even more challenging to get up again.

We must do something, eventually, with our grief so that we are not wallowing in a mucky pond that is too small to go swimming and yet too cold and stagnant to soak.  People often create a legacy for their own human children or for other people that have touched them deeply, but have passed over.  When losing an animal companion feels unbearable, we must create a legacy for them.  A legacy is something we create to benefit others that is influenced by the life of the person or animal that passed.  If we focus on creating our animal companion's legacy, then we are focusing the energy of grief into something productive and helpful that will live after them.

When Rocky passed (I am still in the beginning stages of grief where even writing that feels like an impossibility), I knew I had to create a legacy in his honor so that his magnificence would not just effect me only.  He was an amazing goat.  His intelligence, compassion, affection, playfulness, wisdom and confidence surpassed that of most beings.  I am privileged to have had him in my life. Rocky, Sunshine and I were a herd.  A herd is very tight knit. Once you are part of a herd, you are in. You belong.  There is no looking back.  You are part of something that is larger than the sum of its parts.  The herd membership is like a secret code that lets you into an amazing world.  You no longer just sit with goats and interact with them.  Being part of the herd means that now even one glance from a goat's eyes has a deeper meaning and feeling.  It means you are connected.  Your identity becomes wrapped up in the herd mentality.  I can only describe it as having a sense of BELONGING that makes that word pale in comparison to how it really feels.

Losing Rocky is not just losing the best part of what I considered my life, it is also losing an identity. My sense of self was wrapped around my connection to him.  He somehow made the world a better place for me.  I was obsessed with him.  His love for me and my love for him defined my life.  What choice do I have but to create a legacy?

When you lose an animal companion that touches your soul deeply, creating a legacy for them can be the best thing you can possibly do.  Rocky's Legacy is to help save other animals.  He was a lucky goat.  Most goats in the area I live are eaten.  Many goats are killed and abused in the dairy industry. Even young goats are used as food.  The most popular meat in the world is goat meat.  But, these are one of the smartest, affectionate amazing beings.  Rocky's Legacy is to promote the awareness of the value of animals and influence people not to eat them or use them for human gain.  We share this planet with animals.  We can honor and respect them, doing whatever we can to improve their lives. Rocky's Legacy is to promote veganism and animal rights.  His name will live after him.  Though he left this world, this mission will live on.  One amazing goat will effect many animals.

Create a Legacy for your loved one.  The more they effected your life, the larger the legacy.  In this way, you channel the energy of grief, of loss, into a meaningful gift for the planet.  It is my belief that our loved ones would want to help the planet, would want their life here to have meant something on a larger scale.

Rocky's Legacy is, at this time, composed of two parts.  One is a short story I wrote called Cornelius the Goat that awaits illustration and will soon be on Kindle.  It teaches others to value animals. The other part is a play I wrote called Barnyard Karma told from the point of view of farm animals that are trying to avoid slaughter day.  It is a docudramedy: part documentary, part drama, mostly comedy.  It helps to raise awareness for animal liberation.  It is needing funding to be able to be performed for free in many locals.

Creating such a Legacy is a good way of handling the loss of a loved one.  If you allow the life they had to live after them, you are helping the planet.  You are also helping yourself.  When you give your life a grand purpose, to save animals from being eaten and abused, you help the environment as well.

Create a Legacy for your animal companion.  This is a healthy way of dealing with the suffering that accompanies loss.