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Those who will not slip beneath
Saying Goodbye
THE WELL OF GRIEF
Those who will not slip beneath
the still surface on the well of grief
turning downward through the black water
to the place we cannot breathe
will never know the source from which we drink
the secret water, cold and clear
nor find in the darkness glimmering
the small round coins
thrown by those who wished for something else.
– David Whyte
An Elegant Mystery 
Oh no…are condolences in order? Forgive me if I am reading this wrong. In a medium such as this, it’s soemtimes hard to tell if an intuition is correct.
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January 16, 2014 at 4:24 am
No your intuition is correct. These creatures who capture our hearts…it is such a heavy responsibility to send them on their way.
It is so hard to let go of them. but the two who are featured here, the dog said goodbye to us less than 2 years ago but today the cat suddenly became ill and was in such sorrow…it was up to my daughter who courageously, mercifully, let her go with thanks and tears with help and gratitude to the life she lived and the delight she gave…yes she is gone now. It is a sad and mournful moonlit night here…
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January 16, 2014 at 4:38 am
I’m so sorry! Oh how I know how painful that loss is, and just as the poem indicates, because the love between us and the furry ones is very special and deeper than we think possible, it hurts all the more.
My heart goes out to you, they are together again. It does look like they were pals.
xxx
Debra
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January 16, 2014 at 4:52 am
Yes there is this wound in the heart that begins in the joy of their youth. There is this spiraling enchantment in their existence and in their interaction with you as young puppies and kittens. They mature into these elegant beings who you start to take for granted you begin to believe in the undeniable existence of breath and purr and pant and paw and then the horror and reality that this is all so so temporary and it confronts you like the harsh reality of so many who see and live this daily with the death of their children their loved ones. The darkness we all face because the world and its creatures are dying dying dying (sob) i’m sorry…I’m sorry…i’m just in pain
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January 16, 2014 at 5:33 am
No need for apologies! Yes, it is painful to lose any loved one.
Two years ago, I unexpectedly loss a dear cat who was very bonded to me. She would follow me around the house and was quite the comedian.
Apparently, she had a heart condition that we were unaware of. She never acted sick or gave us a clue that she had something so serious wrong with her. But one night I woke up and she was lame in her front leg. We new something must be wrong and it was.
Unfortunately, after having a series of tests we were told that her prognosis was not good. She had had a blood clot and had another one on the way.
The Vet told us that typically, there is much suffering for cats with this condition and there aren’t any good treatment options. So, we painfully decided to have her euthanized. Ugh, it was truly awful, but I couldn’t bare the thought of her suffering. I will always remember my dear little Clare. She was a very special cat.
I wish you healing and that you may hold on to the gift of love that we receive from losing ones so dear to us.
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January 16, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Thank you Debra. I think most of us have a story to tell about these critters and what they mean to us. Its so easy to take them for granted
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January 17, 2014 at 1:10 am
I am so deeply sorry. You are in my heart and thoughts as you go through this well of grief. Our link with them becomes profoundly close and saying goodbye and letting them go is so immensely difficult. Again, I’m so sorry.
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January 16, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Thank you Don. They teach us so much in life as well as death. Thank you for your kindness
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January 17, 2014 at 1:11 am