It’s September 14th, 2006. I’m at my veterinarian’s office as the dreaded words come out of his mouth, “she may have cancer – cancer of the spleen.” I look at Shen, my 11-year-old collie/shepherd mix. She looks healthy, vibrant even. How could she possibly have cancer? Over the past month she has had occasional episodes ofContinue reading “Tapestry of Grief”
Tag Archives: loss
Grief’s Invitation: A Poem for Mister
On Christmas Day I find myself missing my boy Mister. He arrived in my life as a puppy. I was supposed to just foster him and place him up for adoption. I ‘failed’. In the animal welfare world the term you hear is ‘foster failure’, a term of endearment – when you end up adoptingContinue reading “Grief’s Invitation: A Poem for Mister”
Lessons from Ahnung: Becoming friends with Grief
I have found myself reflecting back on old posts and journal entries I wrote shortly after my beloved Ahnung was diagnosed with mammary cancer in July, 2011. Losing my Papa at the age of 4 and never learning how to welcome and embrace the pain of loss I took on many survival strategies – numbing,Continue reading “Lessons from Ahnung: Becoming friends with Grief”
Ahnung Way 