Is heartbreak the essence of being human?
Yesterday I read a passage in a text which helped my thoughts shift a little.
Heartbreak is unpreventable; the natural outcome of caring for people and things over which we have no control, of holding in our affections those who inevitably move beyond our line of sight.
David Whyte
I wasn’t looking for anything in particular when these words sprang at me. But they helped me a lot after hearing that today, my very good friends Anne and Steve are saying goodbye to their dog Mabel. Adopted sister to Bella, who died four short weeks ago.
It is almost unbearable how sad this time is. The heartbreak is visceral.
Mabel joined Anne and Steve within weeks of them adopting Bella. It is a story tightly wrapped in grief. Soon after adopting Bella, they lost their dog Toby. Bella needed canine company. And Mabel needed Bella. They had been in the rescue together and instantly recognised one another. They rapidly renewed their obviously close bond in their home with Anne and Steve.
Both dogs left the breeding industry with multiple health concerns. Some received treatment prior to adoption, funded by Schnauzerfest, including cataract surgery. Others arose through the years and have received significant veterinary treatment which Anne and Steve ensured the sisters had.
When Bella died at Christmas Mabel mourned her sister, as everyone expected. But, little did anyone know that something more sinister than grief was going on.
Last week, Anne and Steve received the devastating news that Mabel had only a short time to live. The sadness we all felt at the news was overwhelming, the heartbreak very real.
For the past week everything has been given to Mabel’s palliative care. And today, with courage and love and trademark devotion, Anne and Steve will be with her as she joins her beloved sister Bella.
Heartbreak, we hope, is something we hope we can avoid; something to guard against, a chasm to be carefully looked for and then walked around…But heartbreak may be the very essence of being human, of being on the journey from here to there, and of coming to care deeply for what we find along the way.
Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning
of Everyday Words. David Whyte
I have opened a Memorial Fund and hope that through it, the funds raised will be the best tribute we can all offer this unique and loving family bond. One that will help other dogs live their beautiful lives well.
