If You Are Grieving The Loss of Your Family Pet, You Are Not Alone

It’s 5:30 in the morning and I’m just getting up. And with Dave away on business, my first thought is the same first thought I’ve had for the last twelve years whenever he’s gone, the dog needs to go out. So, I sit up, swing my legs over the edge of the bed, and peek over at the dog’s spot under the window. Only she’s not there, and the reality that she’s been gone for over three weeks settles back into my groggy brain.

In a split second, it all comes rushing back to me and I swallow down the...