Death The Gift Of Animals And Death

[Ka-9]

I just finished a ride on my oddly doglike horse Odie, and was able to gain a really wonderful grounding, and phyical in the moment connection with him yet again. It just felt like layers of concrete were melting off me.

For having been "intimate" with death for the majority of my life- any any form from violence to natural, it was the loss of extremely important, and severe bonds, with animals that finally did me in ...so to speak.

I have developed an extreme obsession and overwhelming pre-occupation with the inevitibility, that the few things that really, truly matter to me (I coun't 8, and they all live on my little ranch - only 1 walks on 2 legs), are destined to be taken, and I will simply never be able to hold onto them, no matter how desperate, or panicked I become, and that self evident fact just wouldn't subside, no matter how much I try.

I have recently tried to develop some philosophy, or paradigm, for surviving this, based on the fragility of all the animals I'm so invested in, realizing the natural importance, code, and compassion in their need to one day find peace as they age, and their respective lack of fear, comprehension, or preoccupation with it. Oddly, it "seems" to be working, or at least opening some peace in myself.

I was wondering if something like this, some mindful bonding with animals, has allowed any one else to find some recognition, acceptance and/ or undertsanding of death, and the apparent cruel, seemingly illogical, reality that you just can't hang on to these essential bonds?

 

[scout86]

seemingly illogical, reality that you just can't hang on to these essential bonds?

I didn't really grow up with the idea that bonds you can depend on exist, so that might make a difference. I read once in a book, lives described as "lines of occurrence". The idea was, when you share a part of your life with someone (2 legged or 4), your lines of occurrence coincide, or intersect. That can be a good thing, or a bad thing, or, I suppose any 'thing', but it's got significance. The way I look at it, people or animals, their lives are theirs and mine is my own. We might share a place and time, but it's probably inevitable that our lines of occurrence will someday diverge. I'm not sure what I'm trying to say....... Maybe that I look for the blessing of being able to share the time and place, without expecting forever? Or anything beyond the moment?

I went through a phase, when I was a kid, where I was very attached to a neighbors dog. I didn't have one, and wanted one, and they were too busy to play with him much. But, everyday, when I left to go home, I imagined that he was dead. Because I knew, someday he would be, and I knew it would hurt, and I somehow thought I could make it hurt less by doing that. It didn't change how much it hurt to lose him, in the end. But I realized that by trying to hold back how I felt about him at the time, I was actually depriving myself of some of the joy of loving a dog. I came to believe, if you're going to have a dog (or anyone else) in your life, the best bet is to just love and appreciate them while you can, knowing it will cost you in the end. I guess there's a price for everything and death is just part of the way this universe works. (Somehow it doesn't seem like ANY of that is very helpful! :banghead:)

 

[sedna]

I just finished a ride on my oddly doglike horse Odie, and was able to gain a really wonderful grounding,...

Animals are the only loves I've had in my life that I didnt hold back out of fear. It's not easy to say that because I'm a mother, its not that I dont love my children completely, it means I dont let myself feel the full experience of that very often.

I'm not a religious person, and I dont have an actual NewAgey concept Ive decided to picture in my head about death. But I am also not an atheist and dont believe nothing happens after we die. I just believe its totally okay that we have no idea what that is. If there is a God he / she is probably irritated at those humans that try to convince others they have the inside scoop.

So knowing that is how I believe, when I lose a pet I usually feel the kind of raw pain and grief that you cant escape. Its like having your heart ripped out and I always decide not to get any more pets. Then gradually, over time, usually about a year or two, I suddenly start feeling the love they had for me as well as their personalities every time I think of them. It's just as real as if they were right there. I dont have a philosophy of death, so I cant say thats a ghost or whatever, I can just say that there is no question whatsoever that their love and their personalities are real and they are existing in the moment. It is not a fond memory I'm experiencing, but them in the present time somehow.

It's that experience that keeps the fear away about loving more of them in the future.

 

[Tinyflame]

I'm not sure what to say. I've heard death described as 'the last great evil'. But the only thing we can do is give love.

 

[Tinyflame]

Oh! I just remembered! I heard, A candle says to the darkness, "I beg to differ"'! That's what I'm saying/ mean.

 

[Friday]

Everything dies. Not everything has to die badly.