Five-year-old Steve is as bubbly as his cute white and fluffy puppy Bruno. The two petite and inseparable friends are always searching for a summertime adventure. He got this pet during his fifth birthday and has so far learnt how to clean his kennel, feed him and take him out for walks. Bruno in return is very happy and guards him possessively.
Their bond is simply divine, it would be such a heart breaker to ever see the two separated, but reality is that by the time little Steve is old enough to get a driving license, his best friend and pet Bruno shall be barking with the Angels.
Owning a childhood pet and losing it is for many people the first and best way to learn responsibility and experience grief. It may be extremely hurtful, even unbearable for some, but must be experienced by all as a normal part of life.
Death is a part of life; we all react to it in varied ways. However, what is most important is that we let out the emotions as a means of coming to terms with the loss. In the African society, a man who openly cries is often frowned upon, but during a time of immense, heartfelt loss, even the manliest man is allowed to shed more than a tear.
To all who are mourning their beloved, here is something I found encouraging in such low moments.
HIS JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGAN
Don’t think of him as gone away,
His journey has just began.
Life holds so many facets,
This earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting,
From the sorrows and the tears,
In a place of warmth and comfort,
Where there are no days and no years.
Think how he must be wishing,
That we could know today,
How nothing but our sadness
Can really pass away.
Think of him as living,
In the hearts of those he touched.
For nothing loved is ever lost
And he was loved so much.
Poem by Ellen Brenneman
