In Grief: On Writing Sympathy Thank-You Notes

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life.  Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.  ~ Margaret Cousins

Upon the death of a loved one, it is customary to send written thank you notes as soon as possible, usually within two weeks of receiving a gift. But if ever there is a time when you’re entitled to ignore the rules of etiquette, or a time when immediate thanks is neither expected nor required, it is when you are in mourning. 

Meaningful Quotes on Pet Loss: Comfort for Grieving Animal Lovers, Part 1

The profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until an equal mind and heart finds and publishes it. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, in Quotation and Originality

In my many years of working with and supporting bereaved animal lovers ~ not to mention learning to cope with losses of my own cherished pets ~ I've found that reading selected quotes on pet loss can be profoundly helpful ~ for a number of reasons:

First, such quotations validate emotions, as they encapsulate feelings of grief, love, and loss in a concise and relatable way, helping individuals feel understood and less alone in their sorrow.

Looking for Answers in Grief

[Reviewed and updated September 9, 2025]

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

A reader writes: I have never been a religious person. But it seems that when you have such a tragedy in your life like losing a husband of 40 years that you seem to turn that way because you are looking for an answer. All the books that I seem to read talk about the plan that God has in store for you. Why I get so upset is that I was completely happy with my old plan - being with the love of my life until we were, say, 90 years old (not just 60). So why take my wonderful plan away and make me so miserable because He has a plan for me?

In Grief: Finding Comfort in Writings

But words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.  ~ Lord Byron

A reader writes: We are all on a rough journey, a journey with no map and our companion is not by our side as we know it, but if we move ahead forward at whatever pace we so choose and find comfort in some way we have traveled far...I enjoy seeking these poems/writings as they are indeed comforting and they stimulate your thought process allowing you to really see the light so to speak. 

Having a bumpy ride this week, this has helped....grab a tissue...

In Grief and Caregiving: Finding Inspiration to Go On

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.     
~ Lao Tzu

A reader writes: I lost my dad four months ago. It has been a very difficult time for me. We were very close and our relationship grew even stronger 5 years ago when my mom underwent bypass surgery and suffered complications. As a result she developed what they call infarct dementia. Since my dad (who wasn't in the best of health) could not possibly care for her on his own, my wonderful husband  decided it was time for them to move in with us. I helped my dad nurse my mom back to a state where she could walk again and be in the world again. Although her recovery was miraculous in itself she was never again to be the same mentally. But that was o.k. we were just happy to have her back again. And for me it was a true lesson of how the power of love can get  you through your most difficult times. It certainly restored my faith. It was something that father and daughter did together as a true act of love.

The point of all of this is that my dad's passing left me feeling alone and hopeless. I silently asked myself how can I possibly care for my mom by myself?

Grief Healing: Where Did You Get That Name?

[Reviewed and updated September 9, 2025]

Heal-ing: (n) - the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again; (adj) - tending to heal; therapeutic. Example: "a healing experience." Synonyms: alleviate, ease, assuage, palliate, relieve, help, lessen, mitigate, attenuate, allay. ~ Marion Institute

When I was deciding many years ago what name to give my collection of Grief Healing websites, I struggled with whether to use the word “healing” in my title, because I knew that the notion of healing from grief can seem offensive to some. After all, those of us who are anticipating or coping with the loss of a loved one know full well that grief is not an illness to be cured or a physical injury from which we will recover.

Understanding and Managing Grief, November 9 - November 22, 2014

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day - Letter to a Father http://j.mp/1AyCf5Z « AfterTalk

8 Tips to Help Someone Grieving During the Holidays, http://j.mp/1ta50hv « eHospice

Equine Therapy: Using Horses As A Healing Tool, http://j.mp/1xJsCAl « Philippi Center

Why? Why Me? Searching for Answers in Grief

Find the latest version of this post here:

Looking for Answers in Grief

A reader writes: I have never been a religious person. But it seems that when you have such a tragedy in your life like losing a husband of 40 years that you seem to turn that way because you are looking for an answer. All the books that I seem to read talk about the plan that God has in store for you. Why I get so upset is that I was completely happy with my old plan - being with the love of my life until we were, say, 90 years old (not just 60). So why take my wonderful plan away and make me so miserable because He has a plan for me?

Coping with Pet Loss, November 11 - November 17, 2012

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil. ~John Taylor,  http://bit.ly/VZtQV8

If You've Ever Loved a Dog, http://j.mp/TOjjIm by Nancy Calhoun 

Coping with Pet Loss, October 28 - November 3, 2012

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

• Study: Overcoming Grief an Important Factor in Future Pet Ownership, http://ow.ly/eJatL via @DrMaryCraig
  
  
• Having a Hospice Mindset for Your Aging Pet, http://ow.ly/eYfmU by @DrMaryCraig


• Lovely! Check out the new Quote Slideshow on Healing Pet Loss, http://j.mp/X6UU4Y by @MarianneSoucy


• Heartwarmer! Pet Peace of Mind: Rehoming the Hopeless: A Cat Named Bruiser, http://j.mp/PmciiV


• Dealing with Grief During Holidays and Anniversaries When You've Lost An Animal Loved One, http://j.mp/T1Fw4Z


• A Bill of Rights for Grieving Animal Lovers, http://j.mp/WVDJn6 « Grief Healing Blog