Gardening And Remembering Misty Fondly

It’s been a week since Misty’s accident.

There hasn’t been a moment that I did not think of her and miss her. As much as I keep myself occupied, I am still constantly thinking of her.

It was difficult to take a walk in the morning, but I had to. Part of the reason is that I am on a three-month experiment to check if walking can boost my HDL which is essential for my health, but part of it is also that I have to try and change my perspective, from missing Misty waiting for me at the side of the park and feeling sad, to telling myself that now, Misty lives on in my heart. She will always be with me. As long as I live and breathe, and I remember her, Misty will live on in me.

The Mexicans believe that we, the living, must remember our deceased loved ones. This way, they will continue living in “the other world”. Many cultures have their own beliefs and traditions, but I like the Mexicans’. It’s not that I know of another world that exists, I don’t. I just like the part that we must always remember our deceased loved ones. This way, they live on in us. It’s a simple practice, yet, I personally find it very meaningful. It sure makes more sense to me than performing rituals. All we have to do is to….remember.

I remember Misty very fondly. Just as I remember Puffin & Remirth, Bobby & Mac, Cow Mau, Bunny, Pole, Tiger, Cleo, Indy, Pans, Creamy & Crackers, Kimba, Suki, Vixey, Wii, Wolf, Joanie, Timmy, Willy, Mr Zurik, Daffodil, Rosie, Vincent, Rio, Heidi and Hiro.

Many cultures believe in the existence of a soul that lives on. I do not know if a soul exists. Some cultures believe in rebirth. Personally, I like how Alan Watts explains rebirth; he says that when another life is born, that’s rebirth. It’s got nothing to do with us. It’s just another life being born. So simple, and true. Carl Sagan says we are all made of star stuff. I like to call it star dust. After we die, we eventually become star dust again. Hence, from star dust to star dust, until the next Big Bang, I say. Some cultures believe in the existence of another world that the dearly departed goes to live on forever. To each their own, I say. It’s how we humans handle death. It is very, very comforting to believe in continuity. This way, there is no “end” yet. Somehow, an end is too painful, so we like to believe in continuity. This is why we humans erect monuments for the departed, we try to leave legacies behind, trust funds, charities, so that our name lives on after we die, so that others will remember us. It is an inate human need – to be remembered.

My continuity for my pets is to remember them. Whenever I remember them fondly, they are alive in my heart and memory. And they will always be with me.

Today is the first time I’ve done gardening ever since Misty’s demise. I couldn’t bring myself to do it before this, but I made myself do it this morning after my walk. I need to overcome this. I need to form a new perspective. So I took my stool and did my gardening. I did wish for a moment that Misty will walk through the gate, but that is never going to happen again. I also looked at the spot where Misty always sits watching me, but she is no longer there now.

Misty is in my heart where she will always be.

Ginger, Rey and Lynx accompanied me from the catio this morning when I was gardening. They know.

Time never heals. It never will. It is still painful when I think of Suki, Pans and Kimba. I still miss Indy so much because his departure was rather sudden. It is still painful when I think about Heidi’s sudden onset of IMHA and how she was gone in a matter of days, unexpectedly too. It is a slightly easier to accept death due to old age because an entire life has been lived and we have had the privilege of looking after our loved one, or even in a prolonged illness where we also had the chance to do everything we can for our loved one. But with sudden death, it is very hard. Time doesn’t heal. Some days, you get by and some days, you don’t. You will still grieve. That is the nature of our human life.

But one thing I do know is that I did my best for Misty, as I do for all our pets. My “best” may not be satisfactory to many others, but it is the best I could have done. Misty had a happy life, she wanted her freedom and to be with Gerald and I respected that. She had our entire porch as her home, she had her frequent kibble snacks which was always available for her at her kibble station. I gave her what she wanted. I gave her my best.

The post Gardening and remembering Misty fondly appeared first on AnimalCare.

Source: https://animalcare.my/2024/07/15/gardening-and-remembering-m..

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