For the bereaved, dealing with pet loss is like dealing with any other grief.
But other people are not likely to see it that way. It can be hard for others
(especially non pet owners) to see that the loss of a pet can be as upsetting
for us as the loss of a parent or friend. As we get older our emotional reliance
on our pets becomes stronger, especially if we are alone in life.

Children are grown up and usually far away. If we have lost close friends or
our husband or wife, the loss of a pet can plunge us into a very intense grief
that nobody else is likely to understand or share. Our dog or cat may have seen
us through the hardest of times, always been there for us through other griefs
and disappointments, never wavering in their devotion. Often we have had to
make the decision to have the veterinarian end their lives. This can leave us
with a lot of guilt on top of everything else.

The first thing to accept is that however you feel, it’s okay. Even if you’re
more upset about the loss of your pet than you were when your spouse died, it’s
okay. Give yourself permission to feel the way you feel. Some people are going
to have a hard time realizing how badly you feel. But if you say “You know,
this feels even worse than when Joe died … I guess it brings it all back”,
then you’ll probably find most people will be a little more sympathetic.

I don’t want to scare you here, but do take your grief seriously. It can be
very damaging if you do not acknowledge it. Plus if your pet was an active dog
that you walked often, your fitness may soon be headed downhill. If you have
a dog-owning neighbor who is sick or just busy, it could be a good idea to offer
to walk their dog sometimes. And for the emotional side, if you’re in grief
or depressed then seek help for that.

Some people are going to tell you to get another pet. I think that’s a really
bad idea to do that right away. I don’t think that taking on another pet right
away helps in dealing with pet loss - do you?

Remember when you had to get up to change the channel on your TV? And if you
wanted to watch a channel higher than 13, you had to put the dial on UHF and
tune in FOX, which for me was channel 28 and a newbie station.

My first VHS recorder was huge and had 2 separate pieces because one of them
was ‘portable’ and went with my huge camcorder. Sigh - those were the
good old days. I actually could record shows and easily watch them back then.
I could set the timer on it without even changing channels. Then to watch your
taped show, you just popped in the tape, put your TV on channel 4 and hit ‘Play’

Now, I have a DVD recorder that drives me crazy.

First I have to get my cable box remote and push the button to get my TV control
working. Then I scroll through the source until I get to the one that’s showing
my DVD player. I never can remember the name of that particular ’source’, so
I just keep pushing the button until I get another channel showing from what
my cable box has.

Now I have to find the menu and get to the section where I can record a ‘new’
show. Actually, once I finally get to that point, I’m ok. My son just
rolls his eyes when I insist on saying I ‘taped’ the show onto a DVD. The worst
part is that I have to put on my reading glasses to see what button I’m
pushing.

Just about the time I thought I was getting the hang of it all, I messed up
again. I wanted to record the premier of Season 2 of ‘Heroes’. (I’m a
die-hard SciFi fan - cut my teeth on Star Trek.) I was just sure I had
it right, but there wasn’t enough room on the DVD, so it didn’t record. I used
to be able to tell by looking at a tape if there was enough room. Dang.

Well, at least I could get on my computer and watch the show on streaming video
from the internet. Technology isn’t all bad.

If you are looking for a trip to get away and relax there are always some specific things that you remember to pack. The type of clothing that you pack for traveling itself is sometimes forgotten though. However, finding and selecting appropriate clothes to travel with is very important. The type of traveling that you are doing is very important to selecting the most appropriate clothing.

For example, if you are traveling by plane, it is important to wear clothing in layers. The reason for this is because you are unable to change the temperature of the airplane as much as you may like. The layers will allow you to bundle up, or remove any pieces of clothing that you do not need in order to be comfortable.

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