So Small, So Sweet, So Soon Options

[jaspersmom]

I can't believe that it has been only 11 days since I said goodbye to my beloved cat Jasper, it feels like so much longer, the days and nights go by so slowly without him here. I feel as though I am just going through the motions, putting one foot in front of the other, and it really does seem sometimes as though all of the color has gone out of my world. Yesterday it snowed, and I remember how he used to love to sit on the windowsill and watch the flakes fall, many times he would reach out his little paw and rest it on my arm, just to be connected to me, oh how I miss that. I still can't believe that he is not here, taken from me at such a young age. I just keep thinking about how young and healthy he was, how there was no time to prepare, how there was no time to say goodbye. It is just so hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he is no longer here with me in this physical realm, and the suddeness of it all is still so hard to deal with it. I have read about the stages of grief and I seem to go from one to the other in such random order, not sure which one I am in now, but it doesn't really matter, all I know is that it hurts, but I have learned from moon_beam's insightful words that our grief is very individual and can never be clinically categorized, it is such a personal journey, and there are no limits of time or depth of feeling to this journey. There have been times lately when I have thought of my sweet Jasper, and intermixed with the sadness and tears is a bit of a smile, so maybe the healing of my heart is beginning, I sure hope so. I know he would not want to see me so sad and I do want to one day be able to embrace the joy and love he gave me and still gives me, but I know this is going to take some time. I so miss awakening to those sweet little meows in the morning and that dear little paw on my shoulder, I don't like this new normal, it will never be normal without him.

[moon_beam]

Hi, jaspersmom, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doiing. Indeed, when our hearts are in deep grief we measure time by the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months that our beloved companion joined the angels. Please let me try to reassure you that what you are feeling and experiencing is very normal sorrow - - very painful both emotionally and physically, yes - - still very normal. NOTHING feels the same - - because nothing is the same now. When you embraced your beloved Jasper into your heart and home, your life changed for the better. And now your life has changed again enduring the painful process of adjusting your daily routines of no longer having his sweet precious physical presence with you.

But as you are finding out, your beloved Jasper's sweet Living Spirit continues to let you know he is always with you - - as your precious Jingles alerted you last night. I hope when your beloved Jasper lets you know his sweet Living Spirit is close to you that this will bring comfort to you - - for he truly is always and forever a part of your heart and memories, jaspersmom - - he is always and forever a heartbeat close to you.

Thank you also for sharing this beautiful poem with us. Although our earthly journey changes when our beloved companions precede us to the angels, we endure with the hope and promise that our physical separation is only temporary - - yes, longer than what our hearts want particularly during the deep grief - - but looking forward to the moment when it is our appropriate time to join them in eternal joy. In the meantime we continue with our earthly journey in a way that will honor their eternal love for us.

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

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam