Come on, it’s just a dog?
Reading the last page and closing the cover on the story of a dogs life hurts so much because we read these stories without holding back, and we try never to let ourselves consider that there is a last chapter, that the book will end and there is no sequel.
People who have never considered their dog to be their “friend“ probably would not understand the full weight of grief a person might feel.
The unconditional relationships we can have with a dog are singular in our lives. God is not a physical being, and babies grow up. Past that, the only limitation to a dog as a physical being who never grows up, is that they do grow old. And one day they stop.
It is normal to feel a tearful sense of loss.
Everyone copes differently, but I do not believe in “getting over it” or pushing it down.
I think that whenever a sad thought moves into my mind, I will answer it with my favorite memories of the departed companion. It has become a habit with my mother’s departure, so I know it will work with Ajax and Luna.