Hi everyone, this is Jessi from Animal Wonders sharing a special moment from the other night with you.
Lollipop the striped skunk is 9 and a half years old, which is very old for a skunk. While each and
every animal that comes into my life is important, Lollipop takes up a really large space in my heart.
I’ve been spending quiet moments each night with Lollipop for the last few weeks.
Each night I check on her to see how she’s doing and sometimes all
she wants to do is curl up in my lap for some gentle petting.
And other nights, she wants to run through the halls of the compound exploring.
The hard truth is that Lollipop is coming to the end of her life
and I’m going through the process of grieving.
Grief is no stranger to those who care for animals and most of us
will experience it at some points in our lives, some less and some more.
The interesting thing about my relationship with grief is that it never feels the same way twice.
Each time I lose someone I care for, the grief I experience feels new.
In her life, Lollipop has brought me such joy and has filled my days with happiness,
and I’ve gotten to share my love with her for over 9 years. How lucky am I?
And now, she’s taking me on a new adventure exploring my emotions
and thoughts around the end of a loved one's life.
I wanted to share what I’ve discovered with you as we sit with Lollipop,
just being present with her, experiencing life together, however it comes.
When someone you love enters into their golden years you become more
aware of the limited time you have left with them.
You start to think about making sure you get quality time with them.
And sometimes I’ve tried to pretend time doesn’t march on and they will simply live forever.
And then you experience the last few months of their life with them,
which can be incredibly hard.
It can hurt to see the one you love struggle to do
the things they enjoy doing and used to be able to do with ease.
It can be painful seeing them living in pain or confusion.
It’s in these moments that you know you’ve lost something you held dear.
You’re losing your loved one and there’s nothing that you can do so stop it.
But in those moments of sadness or desperation, sitting quietly with Lollipop and just being
present with her has given me the words that I want to share with you.
It is an honor, a privilege, to get to be with your loved one during this time. You only get
to experience this hard time by first sharing a deep relationship with them and loving them a whole lot.
Sure, the last few months are not like the rest, but when you start thinking how hard it is,
know that you are giving them the gift of being there with them during their hardest moments.
You are giving back to them the joy,
and companionship that they gave to you for all the years you spent together.
What a beautiful way to repay your friend for their friendship.
So, instead of trying to push away my feelings or stop myself from crying in the middle of the day,
this time I’m embracing all of the emotions that come with grief.
What a wonderful thing to get to experience these sometimes overwhelming moments of pure emotion.
And in allowing myself to cry when I feel like crying, and laughing when I feel like laughing,
and sitting and staring into nothing when that’s all I feel like doing,
I’ve realized that every emotion I’m feeling is because I simply allowed myself to love.
And my love is pouring out in all sorts of ways,
some expected and some unexpected.
It is okay to allow yourself to feel whatever feelings come along. With love comes grief
and both are wonderful and weird and I’m thankful that I get to experience them with Lollipop.
Lollipop has been such an incredible ambassador for her species. Breaking
down stereotypes against her species and generally bringing joy to everyone who meets her.
What a dang honor it is to know this very special gal.
Lollipop, I’ll love you forever.