18/11/2025
😞Navigating Grief, Losing My Old Boy, Cooper
As we had to say goodbye on Sunday afternoon and it’s taken me a few days to process as I’ve been moving through some really big emotions…
Cooper he was such a big part of our family, his bark, his excitement at breakfast and dinner, the way he would be present in the back yard and bark at the birds, his wise and kind eyes, big pours and floppy ears…. the house feels different without him.
And the truth is that grief hits in waves and I’ve been riding them the past 3 days and I’ve learned I have to let myself feel all of it.
Here’s how I’ve been navigating the last few days:
Crying when I need to
Not holding it in. Not trying to be “strong.” Letting the tears move through when they rise.
🌿 Giving myself space. Allowing myself to pause, breathe, step back. Honouring my own energy instead of forcing myself into being “fine.”
🌿 Cuddling my boys
We’ve been checking in on each other a lot. Hugging more. Talking about Cooper and how much we miss him…
His bark, His excitement, His happy dance at dinner time
His presence that filled the home Nd how he would stand at the back door watching us while we prepared food.
🌿 Supporting my other two dogs as animals grieve too.
They feel the shift. So we’ve been watching them closely, giving them reassurance, extra love, and consistency so they feel safe.
Grief is not linear and if you’re walking through loss right now, please remember the cycle we move through:
✨ Denial “This can’t be happening.”
✨ Anger the ache, the frustration, the unfairness.
✨ Bargaining the “what ifs.”
✨ Depression the heaviness, the emptiness.
✨ Acceptance the soft landing, when you can breathe again.
As humans please know that you, we, won’t move through these in order. You won’t move through them once.
You move through them in circles, in waves and as your heart learns how to live with the love and the loss at the same time.
If you’re grieving at the moment with a pet, a person, a chapter of life, please be kind to yourself. 💜
