I used to believe that losing a pet was no big deal. When friends or acquaintances would mourn one of their own passing away, I rarely had much sympathy at all and usually just told them to get over it. But as my heart has become more open to seeing the love and light from my Higher Power in everyone and everything, this has definitely improved and so has my level of compassion when it happens.
My shift in empathy for when any pet leaves this world was clearly evident to me recently when my sister let me know her favorite cat was in the final stages of renal failure. A loyal, faithful, and unconditionally loving companion to my sister for around 17 years, Boo-Bear’s life was almost complete and I too was going to miss her. She was one of those cats who purred all the time and truly liked to cuddle up and have you constantly pet her. She gave light meows all the time as well that could soften your heart pretty quickly. But it wasn’t that long ago that I remember visiting my sister and pushing this cat away because I found it very annoying. I now know why that was. The simple answer is that I didn’t know how to receive any unconditional love from anyone or anything, including from a cat named Boo-Bear.
Growing up in a family where love was more conditional-based, I spent many years only being comfortable receiving that type of love from everything around me. My heart was truly jaded to feeling unconditional love because of how my parents were towards me. Love normally came with a price back then and for the few times it didn’t, it felt foreign and uncomfortable, so I usually ran from it. That pattern became routine for me for several decades until I drew closer to my Higher Power. Through a lot of hard work, my Higher Power has helped me to drop a ton of the walls around my heart that have always prevented me from enjoying any absolute love that comes my way.
I’m a firm believer that most cats and dogs are God’s instruments for showing us what absolute love looks like and Boo-Bear was a perfect example of that, especially to my sister. Many of us can easily forget what unconditional love looks like in a world that is filled with so much selfishness these days. Thankfully, there are wonderful pets like Boo-Bear who are sent her to be great reminders of a quality that is already innate within each and every one of our souls.
My partner’s cat Driggs is another example of a pet I believe has been a great reminder from my Higher Power to help me be more loving. I’ve grown to love and feel quite close to her over time. While initially I kept my walls up and didn’t like her at all, she’s become a staple in my life, as well as in my heart. The idea of her passing away one day is a thought I don’t like to think about because she in her own unique way has taught me a thing or two about what unconditional love should look like. My friend Mat would probably agree about this type of unrequited love that pets bring, as he too experienced it from his dog Jake who sadly, just recently passed away after many devoted years.
I’m just grateful that my heart is a lot more open today to grieving alongside people like my sister and Mat, as each lament the loss of something that gave them such beautiful unconditional love for so long. So I send my own love and compassion out to the both of you, as I know Boo-Bear and Jake were members of your family and will always remain a part of your hearts and souls. May they each be with you now God, eternally watching over Laura and Mat, just as they always did when they were here…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson