17/10/2025
Hi Everyone👋
I know I've been MIA for a little bit and I wanted to share with you the journey I have been on for the past 7 weeks. I saw this quote today that I will share an image of and it prompted me to post my story. This is going to be a bit of a long one, so bear with me.
I tell my story not for attention or sympathy, but as a way to connect, show how we can share our stories of loss and grief, learn from each other's experiences and know that it's ok to talk about how we're feeling.
We all experience death and grief at some point in our lives and when it comes knocking there's no stopping. We can try avoid or push away, but in reality, grief needs to be seen, heard and felt in every particle of your soul. Some days it's loud, obtrusive, tiring & so very heavy, other days it just breezes through bringing with it a memory, a smile or even a tear. Just because we work in the Death space doesn't mean we become immune or that it's different when it happens to us, we still feel all of the emotions deeply, individually and even mixed together.
On Thursday 28th August I said my final farewell to my beautiful dog Romeo from this life. Romeo was my dog child. For his entire 14years, 1 month & 24 days, he was in my life. From the day of his birth, he took his first breath in the palm of my hand. He was my first puppy born out of my first litter as a registered breeder, I was so proud when him & his brother arrived safe in the early hours on that freezing cold July morning. Romeo was supposed to go to another home, so I tried not to get attached to him in the early days, but the universe had other plans for me & Romeo and he stayed with me. He was the most kind, gentle, caring soul you could ever meet. He was such a special boy and I love him with all my heart. He was so proud to become a dad to 8 pups back on New Years Eve 2018 & his beautiful loving temperament was passed onto his babies. I know I was his world and he was mine, my constant shadow and companion for all his days earthside. I know they can't stay forever, but even that wouldn't be long enough.
On his last day earthside, I held him in my arms, told him he was the bestest dog and I would love him for all eternity as I sobbed into his fur & my heart felt like it was being torn out of my chest. From this point until now I have needed space to process this huge absence in my life, it has felt like I have been standing still, lost in my own world and life has just been whooshing by me. The grief hasn't miraculously disappeared, I still feel deeply sad & messy, I cry every day and there are other emotions that creep in the mix too, guilt, anger, questioning, some reminiscing, smiles and even laughter.
They are never 'just a dog' or any kind of pet. Grief & loss come in many forms so please always be kind, you just never know what someone else is going through 💜
I have a beautiful network of people who love & support me and I am so very grateful for each & every one of you. I know I'll be ok, but for now it just hurts and I'm taking time to lean into all the emotions as they ebb & flow in & around me to see what learnings come from this loss. I know that it won't be my last loss and the previous ones all feel different to one another too. I am taking some comfort that I am welcoming my grief and not trying to avoid it & giving myself the grace I deserve.
I thank you for reading my story and please feel free to share yours in the comments if you feel inclined to do so. Your loss can be about anything at all, a person, a relationship, a pet or even a job.
To close out I leave you with my favourite grief quote from Jamie Anderson tells it exactly how it feels: "Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go”
🧡🧡Siehan Romeo's Heart 4/7/2011 - 28/8/2025 🧡🧡
affectionately known as Romeo, Rom Rom, my Gingernut, Big Floof, My Beauty
Rest easy my beautiful boy, I know we will see each other again 💜
your Juliette (aka Pimples) and I miss you so very much, Tiggs 🐱not so much
