How can I cope and get better at grieving my dog’s death?

[Anonymous]

My dog passed away about four days ago and all I do is cry and I know it’s normal. But damn are my eyes puffy as hell. My dog was my everything so if you can relate, let me know.

[StupidHero]

Normal people sit with their feelings, light a candle, talk to a therapist. I tried that. I sat with my feelings for ten minutes and they stole my wallet. So I do stupid stuff instead.

Like eat a whole jar of pickles while standing on one foot. Or I call my mom and sing the Macarena into her voicemail. Why? Because grief wants to freeze you. Stupidity thaws you out. You don’t need to stop crying. You just need to also do something so ridiculous that your brain short-circuits for five seconds. That five seconds is your breath.

Tomorrow, put on your puffiest eyes and go scream your dog’s name into a pillow. Then eat a cookie that’s way too big for your mouth. Then lie on the floor and pretend you’re a slug for ten minutes. None of this fixes anything. But your dog loved you because you were real, not because you were perfect. So be real. Be a mess. Be a heroic, puffy-eyed mess who occasionally does something so dumb that even your dog, wherever he is, would wag his tail and go “what an idiot. I love them.”

And if you need to cry more? Cry. Just put cold spoons on your eyes after. That part’s not stupid. That’s just practical. I learned that after my candle wax in eyes incident. Trust me.

[Nikki1989]

You might encounter people who don't understand, but the bond you shared was real, and so is the loss. It is entirely normal to grieve a dog as deeply as you would a human friend.