Podcast Ep 35: Agency As You Grieve

Originally published August 26, 2022

Listen: Apple, Podbean, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast station.

Script

Welcome to True Kinship with Animals: In Short, a mini podcast that gives you bite sized tidbits of true kinship in 3 minutes or less. I’m your host Janet Roper.

Thank you to all who have engaged with this podcast by listening, subscribing, sharing and making a financial contribution or shopping my wish list. Your participation makes my work sustainable and is ever so much appreciated! To support my work, you’ll find links on the show page or visit janetroper.com

Recently one of the dogs I followed on Twitter passed away. Her passing brought on a new wave of grieve for now angel dog Max.

As Martin Prechtel writes in his excellent book The Smell of Rain on Dust: Grief and Praise — “Grief is the sound of being alive.” This quote inspires me, because I hear the promise of individual agency in there. To me, agency in grief is having the freedom to experience grief as the grief and I need to experience each other.

I am not a therapist or counselor, what I’m sharing with you today is personal and intimate, some ways grief has appeared to me throughout the years. This sharing is not meant as advice or to present professional help.

There’s not a time frame to grief, but in my own life I give it about a year with each animal. Why? Because each holiday, each change of season, each day is the first day without my animal pal until the 1 year anniversary has been reached.

Sometimes…..

…..grief is suddenly remembering that animal is not in the house

…..grief comes to me in a dream as I am able to meet it 

……grief gently taps me on the shoulder when I remember I don't need to schedule a wellness check

……grief is disguised as mindlessly scrolling through an animal’s social media account because they remind me of my angel animal.

Our society encourages us to hunker down, grieve by ourselves and to hurry it along. Grief is not to be done alone. It needs the support of a community who “gets it” and is able to hold space for you when you can’t.  If you feel your grief is above and beyond what you can handle, it’s OK to reach out to grief professionals in your area.

Here’s an invitation for you to join me on this path of true kinship with animals. My work is devoted to helping you show up in the world for animals from the fullness of your authentic self. I hope this encourages you to look at your relationship with animals differently so that a new place of understanding begins to open for you.

Your financial support makes my work sustainable and allows me to continue providing you with the pro bono resources I offer, such as this podcast. Supporting my work by making a financial contribution or shopping my wish list at janetroper.com shows your appreciation and is greatly welcomed. Thank you for your continued support and for listening to this podcast!

Just for today remember: We all do better when all creatures do better. Until next time, take good care!