Making difficult decisions for our beloved animal companions creates worry. Especially when it will have a big impact on their and our lives. We wonder what’s the right choice. Or the best choice.
Have you had to make any of these difficult decisions?
- Is this individual a good fit for me and my family?
- Can we live with their behavior?
- Can I give them the care they need?
- Which medical intervention is best – for them and me?
- Are we at a point where we just keep them comfortable rather than try more medical interventions?
- Is it time to let them go with veterinary assistance – or should we let them go naturally while keeping them comfortable?
Our decisions are even more layered because they affect the whole family. Not just our animal companion.
- Many times, partners disagree about what’s the next right/best decision.
- Sometimes we wonder how our decision will affect our kids and the other animals in the family.
Perfection and affection
In this blog, “Perfection” mean needing to get it right. We must make the right decision, so we avoid the pain of living with regrets as their life goes on. Plus, no regrets after we’ve let them go – whether they’ve passed on or they’re with a new family.
So, affection, for this blog, means our love for our animals.
Sometimes we struggle with the need to make the “right choice” as we are consumed by our affection for our companion.
My experience with Tibor
I experienced an overwhelming need to make the right decision when my dog Tibor was diagnosed with cancer of the nose. It came on so quickly.
We already knew his older sister, Stella, was going downhill. I was so not ready to lose Tibor.
So, my affection pushed me towards doing everything I could to increase his time on this earth. And my perfection wouldn’t let me give up. My husband saw it differently and was ready to let him go.
His ending? Tibor passed on his own in the living room after a very short walk. The manner of his transition, after Stella’s loss, put a huge burden on our marriage. In time, we figured our how to let go of our upsets and let love guide us.
The key to my recovery – affection
After Tibor passed, I felt strong regret for holding onto him as his condition worsened.
Sometime later, I got the courage to ask him how he saw things. He said that he had no regrets. He was glad to stay with me even in his condition.
And what he brought into the afterlife was our love connection. He could feel that every decision I made was out of love for him. And that’s what mattered. He held no grudges. Just love.
If you’ve got regrets about decisions you’ve made, check internally see if they were made with the foundation of affection and love. And KNOW – that’s what they hold onto. Your love.
If you still have regrets, it’s never too late to apologize. Check out my blog about asking for forgiveness.
Let me help you have a conversation with your animal.