After 3 years Tessi still grieves for Morgan. Not every day, but there are times you can see the sadness in her eyes when someone mentions Morgan’s name. If you have ever wondered if dogs hurt when they loose someone they love I will tell you from first hand experience, they do, they have huge hearts and their hearts grieve just like human hearts.
And Morgan’s dog Wylah has nightmares still. She cries out in her sleep. She was just a puppy at the time of Morgan’s murder and she was definitely traumatized. The good news is she is starting to become a lot more trusting of people – she wasn’t for the first year or so. A good friend of mine said to put my hand over her heart when she looked sad. I did that for quite a while and I must report that it did work…the sparkle in her eyes has come back and she is extremely affectionate and loving. I am so happy because I know Morgan loves her little dog so much and wants her to be happy.
Morgan’s cat Mogwai grieves too. Sometimes he gets despondent and doesn’t want anyone around him, and other times he just wants to be able to cuddle up like he used to do with Morgan. The problem is he will cuddle up to us but then look really sad, like it’s just not the same. He then gets up and slowly walks away to be alone again. I try to follow him, call his name, dangle string in front of him to play, but he just looks at me with eyes glassed over as though he is trying to just focus on his memories. But recently when Mogwai looks upset Tessi has started to walk over to him to try to cheer him up…it’s so adorable, she licks him (with her huge tongue) in his ear, then he looks grossed out, but he still sits still and let’s her…I think he likes her attention, even though it is very slobbery. 🙂
It’s has been heartbreaking at times to see these wonderful, kind and furry members of our family grieve, but just like with all of us I know it is a process that can not be avoided. I think it just makes all of us, humans and animals alike, treasure the moments we have together and appreciate even the smallest things in life like chasing a ball in the park.
“Over the years I’ve come to appreciate how animals enter our lives prepared to teach and far from being burdened by an inability to speak they have many different ways to communicate. It is up to us to listen more than hear, to look into more than past.”
― Nick Trout, Love Is the Best Medicine: What Two Dogs Taught One Veterinarian about Hope, Humility, and Everyday Miracles