Choosing Love

I'm sad today, my daughter and son-in-law had to say goodbye to one of their cats at four o'clock this morning.  Mouse was around fifteen, I know she was born in June 2001, but I'm not sure which day.

Fifteen years is the average lifespan of a domesticated cat, which is longer than the average lifespan of many dog breeds.  But it is a very short time, in terms of human lifespan.

When we choose pet ownership, we choose grief.  Because we know we will say goodbye to many pets over the course of one natural human lifetime.  But more than choosing grief, we choose love.

Pets are for me, the single most dependable source of unconditional love we ever get.  No matter what kind of day you have, no matter how much the world sucks, your pets love you.

And they give us a place to put our love.  I believe there is a great need for connection that is part of being human.  It can be very difficult to connect with other humans for a variety of reasons, but many people who cannot connect well with humans can connect very well with a dog or a cat.

My connections to the animals who have shared my life is deep and abiding.  I miss all the dogs and cats I loved who are no longer sharing this plane of existence.  Each one was special.  Each one had a distinct personality.  Each one allowed me to love unconditionally, and loved me back in the same way.

I have known many people who have lost an animal that they loved very much, and who decided to never open their hearts to another animal, so as to avoid that pain and grief.

I fall in the other category.  The person that can't imagine my life without a pet.  I don't know that I can survive without the love.

I believe that energy is never destroyed.  Because I believe that, I believe that the energy that is the essence of humans and the animals we love is never destroyed.  I believe that energy is always with us.  And I feel that energy at times. I feel the comfort of the love from people and pets who have passed on to another plane of existence.

That doesn't mean I'm not sad when a person or pet I love leaves this plane.  It doesn't mean I don't grieve.  It doesn't mean that I don't feel the pain of separation.

It just means that I never feel like that person or pet is truly lost to me.  I can find them in my memories.  I can find them in my dreams.  And I can feel their energy in the universe.

So, I will keep choosing love.  More people, more pets, more love.  I know that I am also choosing grief and pain.  But for me, it is always worth it.