It's been over five years now and I tell you, I don't cry nearly as much now as I did in the beginning, but it doesn't hurt any less and I don't miss her any less. I don't think a loss like this will get better in time, really. How much I love her is not going to go away in time, so how could the hurt go away?

And sometimes it just doesn't seem possible that she can be gone. I still need her. I need her so much. How can she not be here when I need her so much?

"How much I love her is not going to go away in time, so how could the hurt go away?"

Hi, magdalene, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. The love bond we share with our beloved companions is eternal, and you are so right in saying that how much you love your beloved companion is not going to go away regardless of how much time continues in your earthly journey. If anything, the love bond you share will continue to get stronger.

You also make a valid point that, even though the intensity of the deep grief we feel does ease with time, there will always be an ache in our hearts to hold our beloved companions. to look into their eyes, to smell their fur, to exhange kisses with them. This is because when they precede us to the angels they take a part of us with them, a part that only belongs to them, so that they can have a part of us with them in eternal joy while they wait patiently for our appropriate time to join them. But they also give to us treasured memories to sustain us - - memories that only belong us, and are ours to share only when we feel we can entrust them to others who will understand how important they are to us. We are blessed with their sweet Living Spirits in our hearts and memories to cherish knowing that they continue to share our earthly journey just as they always have and always will.

This adjustment journey to the absence of our beloved companions physical presence with us is a hard one to make, for sure. But we do not travel our journey alone, for we are also blessed with the comfort and support of others making the same journey who come here to this wonderful forum. Together we offer and receive encouragement, support, and hope to continue our earthly journey in a way that honors the eternal love bond we share with our beloved companions.

"How can she not be here when I need her so much?"

I hope you can find comfort in knowing that your beloved companion IS with you now just as she always has been and always will be. She is always a heartbeat close to you.

Thank you again, magdalene, for sharing with us how you're doing. I hope you will have a very peaceful evening blessed with your beloved companion's sweet Living Spirit to comfort and cheer you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how you're doing whenever possible.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Good morning Magdalene

I'm sorry your heart is hurting so much. My Gretta (the kindest chocolate lab who ever lived) went to the Perfect World almost exactly six months ago and I'm still feeling grief, sadness and missing her intensely. I just wrote to Bobbie yesterday that I was beginning to think that the sorrow would never really "go away". You have confirmed this for me. It's a relief in a way not to have to wonder "when" and "am I normal (whatever that is)". Moonbeam, as always, has said it all about why the sadness will go on at some level forever. Some people here say they eventually transform their sadness into happy memories. I guess for some of us the path is different.

Magdalene, thank you so much for opening your heart to us here at LS. No one can bring a most-loved being back, but we CAN lovingly support each other until we all meet again - and we WILL!

Blessings today and every day,

Gretta's mom