Home › Forums › Loss of a pet › Losing my best friend of 17 years – how do i make this process easier? › Reply To: Losing my best friend of 17 years – how do i make this process easier?
Dear @zizi03,
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss – to have a friend you grow up with and who is part of the family is such a special thing and you must have had many beautiful memories together! It’s so painful to lose someone who has been such a big part of your life every day, and yet somehow painfully beautiful to know that this love was so deep that he stays with you in your heart even if his body is no longer there.
Losing someone (I will say someone not something – my cats were more than people to me!) takes so long to adjust to, and I feel we never really get used to them not being there, but somehow they remain in our lives and hearts in a different way. I still remember the emptiness when my cats passed away – something was missing everytime I woke up or returned home, and there was less life and less laughter for so long. I also feel guilty that I did not do more to protect them, and I think it’s really special that you felt such a connection with your dog that you could tell when he was ready to go, to be in a better place with less suffering.
If it helps, please share his name and some memories you have of him! I would love to hear about how you grew up together and celebrate the funniest, most joyful, adventurous moments you had together