We Grieve Because We Love
Mary Ann Bumbera • Animal Grief Care Companion
Death is a mystery. We have no means to make sense of it. And because we don’t understand it, dying and grieving are uncomfortably painful topics mostly avoided by our society - especially when it comes to animals. Our grief illiterate culture tends to value humans over animals, so oftentimes our grief for animals is unrecognized. Your grief matters and you don’t have to navigate this alone. I can help you find a path forward.
Grieving the loss of an animal is different
With their immeasurable love and compassion, our animals are a bridge to the innermost reaches of our hearts and therefore are commonly our principal emotional support. When they die we’re left staggering in grief without the emotional lifeline they gave us. Additionally, our culture doesn’t typically honor their lives with obituaries, funerals or bereavement leave, so when they die, they’re just….gone. Those of us whose lives have been devastated by the loss of an animal companion know that grief is not species specific. Love is love.
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
— A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
What is an Animal Grief Care Companion?
As a grief care companion, I offer a compassionate, open-minded, healing presence to bear witness to your grief to honor the sacredness of the relationship with your animal. I will support you in sourcing the strength to integrate the sorrow as you navigate your grief journey in your own way and time to achieve new inner balance.
Animals quell our loneliness, soothe our souls and touch our hearts in ways that people don’t. Our connection with them is often deeper, because through their loyal and steadfast love, we find repose from daily complexities and acceptance for who we are. Animals intuitively know what we need even when we don’t and through their connection with nature, we are brought back to our own connection with it and to ourselves.
“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. ”
— Rabindranath Tagore
What You’re Feeling is Normal
My journey with grief has taught me many things. Among them that there is no right or wrong way to mourn or grieve. We humans tend to categorize everything in stages, so if our grieving doesn’t follow someone else’s plan or timeline, we feel something is wrong with us, making us feel even more alone. Grief is never simple. And with our culture’s awkwardness with grief and emotional pain, we lack skills to comfort ourselves much less someone else. When we reach out for comfort, we don’t always get what our hearts need. So what do we do?