Grief

The house has felt empty since Sophie kitty passed away on Sunday. All of us are feeling her loss, including Charlie cat. Those who don't believe that animals have emotions have never seen a furry friend grieving the loss of a playmate. Charlie has been spending his days aimlessly wandering through the house, looking for his friend.

Sophie's death has been especially hard for Robby who is struggling to grasp the fact that she is gone forever. This is his first real experience with death. With the exception of a goldfish and two frogs, he had been spared the pain of having to say goodbye. Sunday night after Sophie was buried and the house became quiet, Robby's tears started flowing.

Trying to help Robby grasp and cope with Sophie's death added a new level of pain to my already overwhelming grief. At a moment when I desperately wanted to crawl under the covers and sob, I needed to be strong for him.  Instead of hiding, we all ended up huddled in our bed crying together.  Sophie was such a special little friend.

It is obvious when Robby is thinking about Sophie because the tears begin to well in his eyes. I try to take the opportunity to share a Sophie story or to talk about how we all miss her. I know that death is a part of life and that I couldn't spare Robby the pain of mourning forever. I just wish that we could have delayed the harsh lesson a little longer.