The death of a loved one is a difficult time. There are too many emotions to process, and as anyone who has grieved the loss of a pet can attest, it is just as hard as losing a human loved one. How we move through our grief is almost as personal and unique as the love we’ve just lost. Many find ourselves struggling with how to keep the memory of our loved one alive, while still giving us the space we need to bring about some healing and closure.

Grieving Is Personal

These days, there are many tools available for working through grief. Time off from work and counseling are two great options. But when it comes to the loss of a companion animal, there seems to be more urgency in getting through the grief process. More than a day or two away from the office feels like too much, and though a person could (and perhaps should) seek counseling after the death of a spouse, it isn’t something most people consider after Fido dies. Though many people agree it’s just as difficult as the loss of a human counterpart, processing the death of a pet seems to require a swiftness to recovery that may run counter to some people’s natural tendencies. 

Pet memorials are one way that we can honor the loss while moving forward in life. There are many who believe that we don’t ever really heal after the death of a loved one. Instead, we just move forward, changed now, into a life that is new to us… a new normal. We keep breathing, and before long, some time has passed. What was a fresh wound is now a scar, and memories that used to make us cry, we suddenly realize make us laugh. 

We have been forever changed by that love we shared. Perhaps that’s really why we don’t ever completely heal. Because to heal, is to erase. The last thing we’d want to do is erase that big, beautiful love. We’d want to hold it close, keep it near to our hearts. Let it keep changing us, for the rest of our lives.

Animal Memorials And More

Enter Davenport Memorial Glass. Built upon this very idea, they create handheld memorials; a way for you to call upon the memory of your loved one, any time, no matter where you are. Cameron Davenport is the artist behind this great idea, which came about in 2015 when he decided to try and preserve a bit of his friend Johnny in a glass marble. (1) Using a very small amount of his ashes, Cameron was successful in memorializing his friend this way, and the rest is history! Now you too can have a small reminder of your loved one, no matter where you go. Just touch it, and they’re right with you. Davenport Memorial Glass does animal memorials, and with a very small amount of your furry loved one’s ashes, they too can be memorialized in a marble just like Johnny.  

Their website has several different product offerings, from sweet paws to galaxy marbles. You’re sure to find the perfect way to honor your loved one. From the company’s website: Our goal is to physically capture a moment, to create a keepsake that brings back a memory. Nothing will compare to the time spent with your loved one, but we hope to aid in treasuring them and remembering the precious time you had together. Thank you for all the trust you have put into what we do. We greatly appreciate you. (2)

We greatly appreciate you too, Davenport Glass.