Mourning the Loss of Your Childhood

On Sunday night, my childhood dog was put to sleep.


I was surprised by how devastated I was by this news. I know it's not strange to care about a pet and it's true that they are apart of the family. But I was shocked by the amount of grief I had over this.


Then I thought about it. And I realized something.


There's more to this than my dog dying (although that is extremely devastating in and of itself). I'm also devastated because my dog represents my old family. The way we used to be. And now that last piece of my childhood is gone too.


Those who read my blog may say, "You always relate everything back to your parents' divorce." And that may be true. No, I'm not sitting around on my couch with a box of tissues and a half-eaten carton of ice cream crying constantly over my parents. But it's impacted my life forever. And I think things will always relate back to it. After all, divorce a monumental change that affects everything in its path.


I've been doing much better with everything and have a healthier perspective, but I still feel sadness, especially in situations like these. It's hard to believe how much my life has changed, even in the past 2 years. And now here's change again, knocking at my door.


Over the past few days I've learned that you just have to let yourself grieve. Whether your parents are divorced, you've lost a pet, whatever it may be. Let yourself feel what you're feeling and don't let anybody tell you any differently.