How do I prepare myself to lose my friend (a dog)?

[Anonymous]

I was in my freshman year in HS when my red nose, light brown Pittie (a gift my aunt gave me) was a puppy; a sweet girl we named Cindy. She's now exactly 14 years old and obviously made it this long.

She'll be gone soon and I'm not really prepared to let her go yet. I haven't thought about her death all this time till recently. She's old, getting weaker and slower in walking. I'm sad that her death is coming. How do prepare myself to lose her?

[ohsheeT]

I felt every single one of your words every single one of them and it breaks my heart but I need to tell you the story

About 8 years ago I lived in a different state and I came back to my hometown for a vacation my grandmother wasn't doing very well so I went over to see her and she was getting ready to pass one night there was a storm and she had a dog that hated thunder and lightning in the storm there was Big Thunder big lightning and somehow the dog got out of the fence yard she called me up and I went over to check the neighborhood out to see if I can find her dog and I just felt in my heart something was wrong as I was going up and down the streets looking for the dog I saw an old friend of mine I told him what I was doing and I was headed back to my grandmother's house

He said he would follow me over we started chatting and what was very weird is that every time that I had seen him there's something spiritual that he wanted to know from me anyway he pulls up I pull up we start talking and I'm telling him about my grandmother's dog and in that moment when I said I think something has happened to the dog I was looking into his eyes and all the sudden his eyes just got super big and I got a big smile on my face and I said did you feel that and he goes what the f*** was that and I said did you feel that and he said what did you feel I said the same thing you felt I felt the dog brush up against my leg and he started freaking out and he goes how did you know that I go because I felt it too and he said I can't believe it he goes That's what I felt I felt as if a dog brushed up against my leg so in saying this I want you to understand that even though your dog may pass your dog is always going to be with you your dog loves you as much as you love your dog you have to understand everything on this planet is energy and energy Never Dies it goes off into another dimension when you die your temple your body the thing that houses something that's very important your soul your spirit and your energy your light your Guiding Light that teaches you and guides you will gather your soul and your spirit and everything you have said and done since you've been on this planet all your experiences and it will take you into another dimension that little orb of light now I'm not going to tell you that I'm right I'm not going to tell you that I'm wrong I'm going to tell you I know what I know and I have felt but I have felt and I've seen what I've seen and I've been through the situations like this so that's the reason why I have to tell you the story is I I believe and everything above what I've just said and that's just because I've been there I felt it I've seen it I was part of it in a lot of different ways with other situations so just love your dog you can miss your dog but remember the good parts about your dog connect your energy right now your soul your spirit it very quiet time that way when you need of your dog or you want to say hi to your dog you think about it your energy thinks about it it will come to you and I guarantee it one day it will freak you out it will brush up against your legs to say I'm okay

[Anonymous]

Our dog showed us that he was ready to say goodbye when he looked at us and this in a way did help with the grieving

Make sure you take heaps of photos. Keep her dog collar with you and remember although she won't be physically here anymore she is still with you in spirit and that you are doing the right thing to not let her suffer. As time goes in she will send you signs to let you know she is watching over you

[Asker]

It would be great if she would live longer. I guess when I become old myself and my time comes I'll be with her again and together we'll be running in the park for eternity.

[Opinion Owner]

It would be amazing to have our animals live forever. No doubt you will see her again though I believe after we die we are reunited with our loved ones as well as reunited with our animals we lost