Today (March 16, 2018) is my 75th birthday. Yesterday I had to say goodbye to my little miniature dachshund, Fritz, who was a source of joy In my life for nearly 16 years and my constant companion the past three years since my wife died. We grieved her loss together and now I grieve for him. Putting him down was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but he was in so much pain and I couldn’t stand for him to suffer like that. Setting him free from his pain was my last act of love and kindness for him, but it is hardly conducive for a happy birthday the next day.
Grief is a sad reality of life. It is not a sign of weakness or of a lack of faith. It is, simply, the evidence of love. The deeper our love is, the deeper our grief will be. I told a friend that I think I have cried more over losing Fritz than I did when my wife died. She told me that didn’t surprise her. A grief counselor once told her that when we suffer a major loss of a parent, spouse, child or someone else very close to us, the next loss we experience has a cumulative effect bringing back that past grief in addition to the current feeling of loss. I think there is some truth to that statement. Fritz was a part of Carol’s life too and now losing him feels like I’m losing a part of her all over again.
Some people try to avoid the pain of loss by avoiding love. They are missing the greatest gift God gives us. After all, God is love and He knows the important role it should play in our life. I would not give up one moment I have shared with my parents, my wife or our beloved dogs to relieve my grief from losing them because I know the loss is only for a while.
There is good news for those who receive eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. In that New Jerusalem where God will dwell with His people forever, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4) I know for sure I will be reunited with my parents and my wife there, but there are differing opinions about whether pets go to heaven. The Bible does tell us, “In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion and a little child will lead them all.” (Isaiah 11:6) If those animals qualify, then I have to believe my loving Fritz, Tillie, Hans and Gretchen will meet me there some day too.