“Whatever your spiritual orientation,
Wherever you are in your journey,
We are here with you.”
--Spiritual Directors International
Just as your animal’s life and death are unique So is your journey through the land of grief.
You are probably familiar with the Five Stages of Grief:
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
But these five stages do not always flow in that order.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself ricocheting from one “stage” to the other.
Or you might be flooded with a helpless hurting feeling.
You may not feel like eating or sleeping. It can be hard to focus and get things done.
Grieving the death of that one who loved you unconditionally can be complicated and confusing.
It’s not unusual to feel extreme emotional responses such as feeling abandoned, guilty, or angry at our beloved friend for leaving us. Such feelings can be overwhelming and confusing.
All of which is completely natural.
You are a normal person having normal reactions to a devastating situation.
Animals are emotionally honest. They love us unconditionally. Those deep soul-to-soul connections we have with our animals are hard to explain. There are often no words to describe how we feel.
In anticipating a loved one’s death, the psyche sometimes preps us with a flood of anticipatory grief responses: anger and denial, sorrow ranging from sadness to deep depression.
The grief journey can be rocky. And messy. We mourn on multiple levels simultaneously: the loss of the relationship; the loss of the person, or job, or perhaps our home. Simultaneously, we mourn the activities we did together, like walks and naps; our daily mealtime routines; and the close connection and communication we shared.
At the same time, we grieve the dream of the future we hoped to have together.
Please don’t be surprised if your family and friends do not understand the intensity of your pain.
If you are struggling to get through the day, please feel free to Reach Out
As a spiritual companion and End-of-Life Doula, I can offer a safe space to listen with an open heart.
Compassionate griefwork can open the way to you feeling stronger. In griefwork, you learn about who you are and are not while learning how to put down one foot after the other.
One day at a time.
Together, we can embark upon a creative healing process.
"Dr. Laurie was very kind and compassionate. She had several remote reiki sessions with Lila. She would set up a professional space with a picture of Lila, a candle, and a sacred Reiki symbol. Many times she would even get messages from Lila. I was so excited to hear what Lila felt and it made me feel even closer to her. It gave us both peace and comfort.
"Dr. Laurie stayed in touch and followed up to see how Lila was progressing. I was so touched that Dr. Laurie cared so much. Somehow she understood more than anyone what I was going through. Lila's life was extended in large part to the healing Reiki. Even my vet said that she had expected Lila to pass 3 months earlier."-- Laura Tellman
“Laurie was so amazingly and exceptionally generous with her time and skills. During these painful and difficult months, Laurie and Reiki gave both me and Buzz times of peace, calm as well as relief from pain and suffering. I will be forever grateful to Reiki and Laurie and I only wish I had connected to Laurie and Reiki earlier in my and my dog’s life.” --Dr. Dani Z
“Thankfully this was eased by sessions with Laurie Nadel, who provided Isis with compassionate Reiki treatments and engaged her powerful animal communication skills to express to me Isis’ ongoing experience until her passing.” -- Caroline Petree, Usui Reiki Master.
We'll Meet Again on the Rainbow Bridge
The Rainbow Bridge is a mythical meadow in Heaven where animals wait for their humans to join them. According to the myth, we cross the Rainbow Bridge together into Heaven.
“Birth is a beginning and death a destination;
But life is a journey.
A going, a growing from stage to stage.
From joy to gratitude, from pain to compassion.
From grief to understanding, from fear to faith;
We see that victory lies not at some high place along the way,
But in having made the journey, stage by stage, a sacred pilgrimage.
Birth is a beginning and death a destination;
But life is a journey, a sacred pilgrimage,
Made stage by stage…
To life everlasting.”
There is no timeline for grieving; your heart mourns and processes loss in its own time and its own way.
The good news is that LOVE IS FOREVER.
The soul connection that bonded you both continues after your beloved animal transitions.
With prayer and guided meditation, Dr. Laurie can share Reiki with your pet on the other side.
(Oftentimes, she will receive messages of reassurance from your soul friend in spirit.)
