For the most part, what other people think and say about you doesn’t matter. When you leave school, nearly all the people whose opinions you care so much about will no longer be a part of your life.
Surviving pets can experience loss when a pet dies, or may become distressed by your sorrow. Maintaining their daily routines, or increasing exercise and play times, will benefit them and may help to elevate your outlook too.
Preparing a memorial, planting a tree in memory of your pet, or compiling a photo album or scrapbook, can create a legacy to celebrate the life of your pet.
A funeral can help you and your family members openly express your feelings for a lost pet. Ignore people who think it’s inappropriate to hold a funeral for a pet, and do what feels right for you.
When you’re grieving, don’t let anyone tell you how to feel. Your grief is your own, and no-one else can tell you when it’s time to “move on” or “get over it.” Let yourself feel whatever you feel without embarrassment or judgment.
“Cognitive empathy” is “perspective taking” – our ability to identify and understand other peoples’ emotions.
“Affective empathy” refers to the sensations and feelings we get in response to others’ emotions – mirroring what that person is feeling, or just feeling stressed when we detect another’s fear or anxiety.
“Empathy” is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, experiencing how they are feeling from their perspective.
Some people assume that pet loss shouldn’t hurt as much as human loss. The best support for your grief may come from outside your usual circle of friends and family members, and may be able to tell you how they got through the grieving process.
Locking away grief doesn’t make it go away. Express it. Cry, scream, pound the floor, talk it out. Do what helps you the most.