Sadly, my niece lost her cat, Shadow this week. Nothing earth shattering happened when she passed, she just quickly became sick and passed away. I lost a cat to kidney failure around this time 4 years ago and then his wife  a year later. No one prepares you for how hard it is to lose a pet. Even my son, who was never much of an animal lover in the first place, had a surprisingly hard time with our cat dying. He would cry in bed telling me how much he missed  Madison. I told him that Madison would always be with us. I told him to close his eyes and imagine Madison in his mind. He would get excited and say, “I SEE him mommy, I SEE him.” Facebook reminds that I know people–friends, acquaintances and colleagues who are in the midst of losing family, friends and pets every day. Within a 4 block radius I can think of a mom, friend, sister, dog, cat, hamster, aunt, and grandparent that is dying or has recently died.  I hope that when you call upon your loved one, they remain vibrant in your mind’s eye.   I am thinking of you, especially during this time of year, when feeling sad doesn’t necessarily fit the season. Nothing prepares you for these feelings. Wail and embrace the feelings, grief is a special gift of its own in a way.  If you’d like to share a photo or words, I am happy to post.