Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. Please let me try to offer you some comfort in reassuring that what you are feeling is very normal when you share with us: "I feel I would be betraying her because she is the only dog I've ever had and she has all of my heart." Of course your beloved Sarah has all of your heart - - and she always will - - for she will ALWAYS have her own special place in your heart that belongs only to her. However, this doesn't mean that you cannot love another companion - - for the love bond you would form with a new companion would be uniquely different from what you share with your beloved Sarah - - it would in NO WAY be a betrayal to the love bond you and your beloved Sarah share.

Adopting another companion is a very personal decision - - one that only YOU can make. Some people find adopting a companion quickly after a loss helps to ease the pain of the deep sorrow. Some people wait until their deep sorrow has eased so that they can feel they can embrace a new companion into their hearts and lives. Some people fill the emptiness of the physical absence of their companion by pet sitting for friends and family members, while other people get involved with rescue and foster care of homeless waifs who are patiently waiting for a Forever Home. And some people never adopt another companion - - for whatever reason. Only YOU can decide if / when you are ready to embrace another companion into your heart and home, Russ, and whatever decision you make will be the RIGHT ONE for you. The most important thing for you to remember is that there is no rush into making this decision - - at some point in time if you find yourself seriously considering a new companion you will know if / when the time is RIGHT to pursue this. And you can be assured that your beloved Sarah will be guiding your path to that moment when you'll know beyond all shadow of a doubt that it is the RIGHT match.

I hope this helps you, Russ. Once again, I hope today is treating you kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

moon_beam, I thank you for your insight and kindness. I will study on what you said, it's a very healthy outlook. This forum becomes even more important as time goes on because like what I'm now seeing is the understanding that people around me have shown seems to taper off over time, and they can give the impression that it's time for me to get back to normal. I understand that it's natural for them to feel that way and I don't have any ill feeling towards them. All of this really shows me just how special and important this forum is, which I'm sure many here have discovered. All of you are truly wonderful and give so much, I just cannot thank you enough.
Sarah's Dad, Russ

Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. Although clinical professionals now recognize that the grief adjustment journey for the physical loss of a beloved companion is identical to, and as painful as, the physical loss of a human family member or friend, our society in general does not, and sadly this sometimes includes some of the people who are the closest to us both emotionally and geographically. The reality is that what had been "normal" for you in the past included your beloved Sarah - - and sadly your "normal" is now undergoing a HUGE and painful transformation into a "new normal" of what YOU determine to be RIGHT for you - - and this can only be determined one day at a time in your own way and in your own time. No one else can tell you what this is, Russ.

This is one of the many reasons why this wonderful forum is here - - for it is a safe place where each of us can come to share what is in our hearts with others who truly understand what we are going through without the fear of judgment and being told how / what we "should be" doing, feeling, thinking, etc.. By ourselves we find ourselves feeling crushed under the heavy burden of our deepest sorrow. Together we offer each other our mutual comfort, support, encouragement, and hope - - which gives us the strength to endure the deepest sorrow until we find ourselves in a "better place" in our grief adjustment journey.

I hope today is treating you kindly, Russ, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi, In some ways I'm doing a little better now, but the feeling of being lost is always there. I guess as I keep going I'll eventually make it out of the woods. Here in a couple of weeks I'm going to drive my parents down to their winter home in Florida. They are both in their mid 80's and they can still drive ok but they asked me if I would drive them down in their car and I'd fly back after a week or two. I know they asked me to do this so I could get away from my house for a while and be around someone as opposed to being alone all the time.
I'm not sure how this is gonna go but I guess it would be a good thing. My biggest concern is dealing with the feeling I get when I'm away from the house which is an urgent sense of needing to get home. Because when Sarah needed my constant care anytime I would go somewhere I would be in a hurry to get back home, and it was like that for nearly a year. So now I still get that need to get home to take care of her feeling which isn't pleasant. So being gone for a week or two is something I'll have to deal with. All these thoughts and feelings are new to me even at the age of 50, but I've never loved as much as I love Sarah. Thank you and I'll be back here before I leave for sure. Russ

Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. Please let me try to reassure you that what you are feeling is very normal when you share with us: "My biggest concern is dealing with the feeling I get when I'm away from the house which is an urgent sense of needing to get home. Because when Sarah needed my constant care anytime I would go somewhere I would be in a hurry to get back home, and it was like that for nearly a year. So now I still get that need to get home to take care of her feeling which isn't pleasant. So being gone for a week or two is something I'll have to deal with." This is a part of the normal grief adjustment journey, Russ - - the "re-conditioning" your daily routines that no longer includes the physical needs of your beloved Sarah. It doesn't come easy.

Driving your parents to their Florida home and being away from your home is another "first" for you on this winding road of your grief adjustment journey. I hope your travels will be safe, Russ. And hopefully you will know that wherever you are, wherever you go, whatever you do - - your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit is always and forever with you in your heart and your memories.

I hope today is treating you kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello, Two months ago today my girl went away. This has been the most horrific 8-weeks of my life, very much surpassing the end of an 18-year marriage or the hardship of losing a 25-year long job. I would gladly endure those things many times over to avoid this pain. It's not a good day today. I'll be leaving for Florida with my parents a week from this coming Monday. It's going to be hard.
Thank you all so very much, I'll stop by here before I take-off. Daddy Loves You Sarah, you are my baby girl.

Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing, and your and your beloved Sarah's two month angel-versary. During the deep grief everything in our life - - past, present, and future - - is measured by the deep sorrow in our hearts. There is nothing that compares to each major event in our life - - marriage, birth of a child, physical loss of a parent or friend, divorce, employment - - for each event is unique. And the same is especially true when it comes to our companions. NOTHING can compare to the joy in our hearts when we embrace the life and needs of a precious companion into our hearts and lives, and NOTHING compares to the deepest sorrow and seering pain of grief when they precede us to the angels. Please let me try to offer you some reassurance and comfort that what you are feeling is very normal deep sorrow, Russ.

Thank you also for sharing with us this wonderful picture of your beloved Sarah. It is obvious from the expression in her eyes and on her face that she KNOWS she is "daddy's girl" - - always and forever.

I hope today is treating you kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Dear Russ, I am so sorry for your sad loss of Sarah. She looks like a wonderful, beautiful girl and I know you both have been lucky to have each other. I also lost my precious girl but I feel so lucky for the time we had together. And I know that Sarah will stay with you in your heart and her spirit will continue to touch you with her love every single day. You will never be alone because Sarah will ALWAYS be with you, like my Emma is with me. Yes, I'm heartbroken too, but the love is always there. Hold onto that and the good days will become the memories that stay with you. Love, Karen

Karen, I can tell Emma is so very special. I do know the heart wrenching pain of loss you feel. It is a life-changing sorrow. Since Sarah left, she has redefined for me how very precious life truly is. She taught me so many lessons of life and she is still teaching me. That girl has given me an abundance of love and has made my heart grow 100-times bigger. She truly is a blessing beyond definition. During her life she put up with my stupidity without complaint. And she behaved perfectly around people and other animals. When I'd bring her with me to someones house for the first time they would come to see the close and special bond we had. They would ask me - do you want to put her out-back in case she needs to potty, and I'd tell them that's not necessary, she'll ask me to take her out if she needs to go. And people would grab up bowls of chips and stuff off their coffee table when we'd walk in and I'd have to assure them that she has very good manners. And you know Sarah acted this way because it was in her nature, I didn't have to train her, she had to train me to better understand what she was trying to tell me. And this went for our walks too. I didn't use a leash because she wanted to walk with me. We were as close as two souls could be and this is what has caused me to hurt so intensely. She is my baby girl.
I'm leaving tomorrow to drive my elderly parent to their house at Ft. Myers Beach where they spend the winter. I'm going to be there for 3-weeks to help my Dad do some work around the house. I really don't want to go as I feel closer to Sarah when I'm home, so I hope she will come with me for the trip, and fly back with me as well. Really it's a little scary leaving but I know I'll be glad that I got to spend time with my folks. I'm bringing my lap-top so I can reach this forum. Thank you everyone, and God bless each of you. Russ

Hi, Russ, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you're doing. I hope your and your parents travels will be safe.

And please know that your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit will be with you wherever you go, whatever you do -- for she is always and forever a heartbeat close to you.

I hope today is treating you kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello, I'm back home from the 3-weeks spent with my parents in southwest Florida. I haven't spent a lot of time with my folks over the years and I never gave it much thought until I lost Sarah. Now the time I spent with them is very precious to me and I hope to spend a lot more time with them in the spring when they come back for the summer. I'm amazed at how much Sarah changed my heart and I'm still discovering just how truly blessed I have been.
It's been almost 12-weeks since I had to let her go and the pain is just as fresh and piercing as it's ever been. I Love and miss my baby girl so much, it's so hard to live with such a great loss.

Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. I'm glad you enjoyed your time with your parents, and that your travels were safe - - and hopefully uneventful with all the icy snowy weather that has adversely affected travelers.

Russ, please let me try to reassure you that what you are feeling is very normal deep grief when you share with us: "It's been almost 12-weeks since I had to let her go and the pain is just as fresh and piercing as it's ever been. I Love and miss my baby girl so much, it's so hard to live with such a great loss." It is very normal for your feelings of loss to feel still fresh and piercing, for you are still very much in the early stages of your adjustment journey to the physical absence of your beloved Sarah. But I promise you, Russ, it will not always be this way. One day when you least expect it you will find that the seering pain in your heart and life has eased, and you feel the warmth of your and your beloved Sarah's eternal love warm your heart. It's there right now, but your heart is still filled with the pain of grief that makes your heart ache with deep sorrow.

I hope today is treating you kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank you for this encouragement. I think it's really tough right now because enough time has passed to where in my day-to-day life I have to go it alone and keep this pain to myself because the compassion from those around me has all but ended, and I thank God for this forum for being able to talk about how I feel. Living alone I live with the cold reality of not having Sarah around that is devastating. Currently being laid-off and staying home all the time doesn't do one any good either. This experience has softened my heart and made me aware of the value of many things that I may never had realized before it was too late. I just wish I could thank Sarah for blessing my life more than I had ever dreamed. It's been 3 months today since we parted sweetheart, I Love You with all my heart Sarah, you're daddy's precious baby girl and you are so very badly missed. Russ

Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. Traveling a grief adjustment journey when everything else is "right" or "normal" in our lives is difficult enough. Adjusting to the physical absence of a beloved companion in addition to dealing with multiple challenges such as unemployment can intensify the sorrow. Your beloved Sarah is very proud of you for embracing her eternal love which has, in turn, given you a heart of compassion - - and allowing it to grow toward others. Each time you reach out to someone who is hurting you are honoring your beloved Sarah and the eternal love bond you and your beloved Sarah share. And I hope you can hear your beloved Sarah's soft whisper in your heart saying, "well done, daddy. I am so proud of you."

I hope today is treating you kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi, I do struggle so badly with sorrow. Like I've said before, I've never experienced such a loss as this, not even close.
A friend of mine watched a rabbit for someone while they were on vacation. I met the bunny and it was very friendly. Yesterday I was told that the people were going to get rid of the rabbit because one of their kids became allergic to it. The rabbit lives in a cage in their basement and I'm told it just sits in there by itself and only sees anybody when they give it food and water. Anyway the rabbit was going to be put down for lack of finding it a home. So I said I'd take the bunny. I'm going to pick up the rabbit tomorrow along with it's cage, food and other stuff. The people said that a few years ago before they had kids that the rabbit was free to hop around the house and that it used the litter box. I thought to myself that to go from being able to move around the house freely and receive attention to being secluded in a cage in the basement is kind of sad. I've told Sarah that we're gonna be getting a bunny so it can live out it's life with us. I don't think rabbits live that long so it's probably in it's last years but at least I hope to show it some attention and freedom. I'm sure it would be happier not being locked up 24/7.

Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing - - AND for sharing with us the wonderful news of your new bunny companion. This is WONDERFUL!! I know your beloved Sarah is so very proud of you. If you are a first time bunny dad, there are "maintenance" issues you will need to familiarize yourself with that rabbits need nutritionally as well as their teeth, etc., and you may want to check with your veterinarian to see if he / she treats rabbits, or if he / she can refer you to a veterinarian who does. I wish a long and happy earthly journey for the both of you, Russ, and please let us know how things are going.

I firmly believe that your beloved Sarah has guided your and this bunny's path to this moment in time when the both of you can embrace one another's tender love and companionship.

I hope today is treating you and your new companion kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you and your precious bunny are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi, I'm learning quite a bit about bunnies, I just didn't want this one be put down for no reason. Today Christmas day has been an especially bad day for me as Sarah always enjoyed opening her gifts. I miss so so very much.

Hi, Russ, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. The holidays can be very painful when our hearts are grieving the physical absence of a beloved companion. This holiday season is one of those "first withouts" that are so difficult to endure. Still, I hope somehow you were able to feel your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit with you and your new bunny companion yesterday.

I hope today is treating you and your new companion kindly, and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Sarah's sweet Living Spirit to comfort you. Please know you and your precious bunny are in my thoughts and prayers, Russ, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Yes the holidays are just not the same now. I miss Sarah so very much, I never will understand the horrific sorrows of life. It seems so cruel to know and share such a love I've never before found and then have her taken away. Sarah is the only real joy I've ever had and was able to share that wonderful joy with her. I've lost the best thing in the world and the emptiness I have is unbearable. I hurt a lot thinking of how much Sarah loved life and how much joy she could have had. I cry out at night telling her I'm sorry baby girl, daddy's so sorry I couldn't help her. This is hard for me but I am deeply saddened that she wasn't able to live a longer life, she was so positive and always wanted to go out and live. Life isn't at all what I thought it once was.