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Jay Sparrowhawk Ray's avatar

Dogs definitely grieve. When I moved to Aotearoa, my beautiful border collie/ lab cross, Boadicea, (brave and strong and free) had to go into a kennel for 6 weeks. Meanwhile, I ran around getting our house sorted and trips back to Australia to sell the car. I dropped in to see her and play once or twice in the midst of the muddle, but that's all. When I went to pick her up in my just-bought Nissan van, she rushed out, was delighted to get on the front bench seat with me, ready to go. Then..... she moved over to my lap, pressed herself against my chest and whimpered. I held her close. Told her it was ok now, so eventually she went and sat down on her side. But before I chould drive off, she did it again, this time howling as well, for about 10 minutes while I loved and stroked her. Eventually she was sure. She saw that this was not a brief visit. I was not going to leave her again. She gave me another good 15 years of her beloved life. I miss her still.

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Regan Roberts's avatar

My cat grieved the loss of her friend, my mum's elderly dog, when she was a year old. I've seen horses grieve for their herd mates too. I think grief is universal. In terms of being a human grief os baptism by fire. It's the making of the self and the reforging that makes you stronger as you come out the other side of the process.

I don't dream of the colour blue, but I do dream of water, especially waves. My wave dreams happen when I'm emotionally overwhelmed. I also had persistent dreams about a tsunami on Phuket island a few years before it ever happened, I was just a kid. I'd never been to Thailand, I still haven't. I appreciate science has no explanation for that besides coincidence. What I'm saying is that dreams tell you a lot about yourself in the most abstract ways.

This essay was a beautiful read. 😊

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