"I lost my best friend recently.
She was everything you could hope for in a BFF – loyal, funny, supportive, protective, opinionated and gave great hugs. She didn’t put up with nonsense and she protected her boundaries with great passion. She was always up for a chat and ready to listen to my woes – although admittedly we didn’t actually speak the same language. In fact we weren’t even the same species… but that never got in the way of our love and connection.
I miss Sparky’s furry (forever-frowning-and-judgemental) feline face every day. Our pets most certainly are family, and in fact, research shows that the grief of losing an animal friend is comparable to losing a human loved one. I’ve found it’s also a very isolating mourning experience. As Professor of Psychology Frank T. McAndrew wrote for @TheConversation.AuNZ: “Unfortunately, there’s little in our cultural playbook – no grief rituals, no obituary in the local newspaper, no religious service – to help us get through the loss of a pet, which can make us feel more than a bit embarrassed to show too much public grief over our dead dogs.”"
The loss of a furry bestie cuts deep, as our Founding Editor-in-chief @KelleySheenan knows. In Issue 64, Kelley wrote about the lessons they leave us, from dealing with fascists (timely), napping, and the power of setting – and keeping – boundaries.
Read more via the link in bio! 🐈⬛
#PeppermintMagazine #PetsAreFamily #PetsAreLife #AnimalsAreAwesome #LifeLessons