Our dear Juno will always be missed, that I know for sure. We said our goodbye in early January of this year after her sudden loss. The tears flow less frequently now unless I’m deep in memory. Those first few weeks I was looking for comfort in the things around me and to help our two daughters navigate our loss. They both felt their grief differently of course.
I’ve put together a few meaningful ideas that have helped us say goodbye to our sweet Juno and keep her memory alive. I thought I would share them with you as a resource should you need.
Juno Jar
A good friend of mine suggested putting together a “Juno Jar”, a place for all our thoughts and memories. After selecting a vase and some glass beads, our daughter’s spent the afternoon adding their decorating touch. It now sits in the middle of our dinner table. Each time we each have a memory of Juno, we share our thought and place a bead in the vase. We often share memories together, other times I will hear the cling of the glass beads hitting the inside of the vase at various times throughout the day.
Memory Garden
With Juno’s food dish, the only one she would ever eat out of (because she was scared of any other colored dish), we created a memory garden. We went to Salisbury Greenhouse and selected two plants and a dog ornament to place inside. The bottom is layered with rock, then charcoal, then a coffee filter then the soil to allow for drainage as the bowl has no holes in the bottom. It now sits with her collar and leash on our plant table and we love it so much.
Children’s Books on Pet Loss
For young children, books are so helpful in opening up conversation on loss and grief. There were a couple books in our home library that we had already on hand, “The Heaven of Animals” by Nancy Tillman (her book collection is one of my favorites) and “The Memory Tree” by Britta Teckentrup. They are beautiful books (I do have a hard time getting through them without some tears though, it gets me everytime). My niece gave my daughter’s “The Invisible Leash” by Patrice Karsi, also a really beautiful book and a great visual for young children.
Memorial Jewelry
I have been following Melody’s work from Whisker and Wings for quite some time. She creates beautiful painted pet portraits as well as memorial jewelry. I decided on a ring setting with crushed peacock ore. The Peacock Ore stone is a stone of happiness and joy. I thought it was the perfect stone to remember Juno by. The finished product is beyond stunning and I was so pleased with the entire experience. I love how the right shines different colors in different light.
Pet Psychic
Immediately after Juno’s loss, the worry and guilt began. Did we miss something? Did we make the right decision? Was she in pain and we didn’t know? Is there anything we could have done? I will admit I was in shock, everything happened so quickly. I felt that I didn’t ask all the questions I should have. Deep down I knew we couldn’t have done anything else but the questions still bothered me.
A good friend recommended a pet psychic. I know for some it seems out there but I was willing to try anything to calm my thoughts and my worries. I scheduled a call with Laura Stinchfield The Pet Psychic. The call was so helpful in calming my mind and allowing me to let go of those worries that I held.
A little excerpt from our session:
“Here in heaven is this bright blue star that has twinkling energy. When I am around it, I feel more vibrant. I feel full of energy. There is a grandma woman here who loves to wear necklaces. She has rings on too. She jingles sometimes, and she laughs, and she loves music. She loves to just be with me and take me on pretty walks past lots of flowers. I want my mom to know that I didn’t feel pain before I left for Heaven.”
A Very Special Gift
