firstholidayseasonwithoutbelovedpet

As with the loss of human beloved family members, the loss of a beloved pet leaves a void in our lives, which can become more pronounced as the holiday season approaches. Like many of you reading this, my girls, Miss Jingles and Jezebel, were my kids...they were my family. From the time Jingles was a puppy, she was totally fascinated with the Christmas tree, loved all the shiny ornaments (never bothered them) and the tons of lights I put on it. Jingles was always underfoot the entire time I was putting up the tree, and when finished, she would lay down underneath it, as she did each night when I turned the lights on. After I acquired Jezzy, she too joined Jingles under the tree. After a few of the Christmas balls were knocked off from the girls crawling under the tree, I finally got smart and put it on a table, as I have a vaulted ceiling lol.

Christmas 2003 was approaching, I had lost both of my girls within six weeks, during the fall, and kept feeling like I was supposed to be doing *something* for them, like baking their favorite treats to fill their stockings and buying their gifts. I always made a big deal out of Christmas for my girls (it was just me and them) and the realization that we would not be spending the upcoming holidays together, saddened me....they were gone, and it was such an empty feeling.

I always loved putting up all the decorations, but it was difficult to get "up" for the holidays...my heart just wasn't in it. The last thing I said to Jingles as she was slipping away was, "be sure to look for the Christmas tree you loved so much, Mommy will be putting it up for you and Jezzy." I did try to keep my promise to her, but when I was half way through setting it up, I just couldn't finish it...it didn't feel right to me, so I took it down. I did decorate the fireplace mantle, and hung the girls' stockings, decorated my lampost and put lights on several small evergreens in front of my home...the girls loved that too.

A few days later, I began to feel guilty about not putting up the big tree, and decided to put up a small tree (the one at the top of the page) as a memorial to my girls. I put on a couple of strings of small multi-colored lights, a tiny gold garland with santas and reindeer, small dog angel ornaments I had collected over the years, and various other tiny wooden ornaments, including two bone ornaments with their names, and an angel at the top of the tree. I placed their collars and a Beanie Baby angel on top of each of their urns on the table in front of the tree. Each night during the holiday season, I lit a small candle placed by their urns, while remembering the special times we had together. Somehow, putting up a holiday memorial tree for my girls made me feel better. I was sure they saw their special tree....they knew they had not been forgotten. I had kept my promise to Jingles, but in a different and meaningful way.

The holiday memorial tree worked for me, and you can do the same thing, or do whatever you do depending on your religious affiliation. If you have a memorial garden in your yard and have a small evergreen in it or nearby, put some lights and small decorations on it. You can also make or purchase a holiday wreath or small holiday blanket to place in your memorial garden. Select one evergreen in your yard, if you don't have a memorial garden, and decorate it as a special memorial for your past pet/s...they will be sure to see it from The Bridge. If you have children, get them involved in decorating a memorial tree inside, or outside and encourage them to make some of the decorations. If you had holiday stockings for your past pet/s, have the children fill them with treats, hang them up by the fireplace, or wherever in the your home, and then donate the treats to your local shelter after the holidays...a gift for the needy pets, from your past pets.

Even though I now have a new companion and will be putting up my big Christmas tree this year, I will also be setting up the small memorial tree for my girls and will do so each holiday season.

I hope this article will be of some help to you as the holiday season approaches, and may you find comfort in the wonderful memories of your past pet/s, while you memorialize them in your own special way.

Facing First Holiday Season

Without Beloved Pet

First, I would like to express my sincere condolences to those of you who have suffered pet loss, and in particular, those whose pets have passed during the current year.