Today’s post is a little different. There is nothing crafty to share because, if I am honest, I have not felt much like creating since we lost Beeb.
Beeb—officially known as Hix—was my baby and my emotional support for the last ten years. He was such an important part of our family and our everyday lives that the house simply does not feel the same without him.
It is not easy letting go, and I do not think grief is something you simply “get over”. We are all learning how to live with the sadness of him no longer being here. Everyone in the house is grieving in their own way, and we all miss him terribly.
Having his ashes returned to us has made more of a difference than I expected. There was something very difficult about knowing he was away from home. Now that he is back with us, safely held in his wooden box, it feels as though a small part of him has come home again.
Along with his ashes, we have his paw print, a little bottle containing some of his fur and the keepsake necklaces Richard bought for each of us. These are a few of the special items that will eventually be displayed together in a place dedicated entirely to Beeb.
Our home will be having a bit of a makeover over the next few months. We need to make better use of the space now that both Richard and I will be working from home, while both girls will also need suitable places to work once they begin college.
As part of those changes, we are going to create a permanent little memorial area for Beeb. I want it to be somewhere we can display his ashes, paw print, photographs and a few of the things that remind us most strongly of him. It will not simply be a shelf of belongings—it will be his own special place within the home he shared with us for ten years.
Beeb was never “just a dog”. He was my companion, my comfort, my emotional support and a much-loved member of our family. He was there through difficult days, ordinary days and happy days, quietly giving us the sort of love that asks for very little in return—although he would probably argue that treats were essential.
I know the sadness will not disappear overnight, and I am not going to force myself to move past it before I am ready. For now, it helps to have him home and to begin creating a place where his memory will always remain part of our family.
He may have been formally known as Hix, but to us he will always be Mr Banks, Beeb and, most importantly, family.
A Special Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to Mike and the entire team at GoPet Services for the exceptional care, kindness and compassion they showed Beeb—and all of us—during such a heartbreaking time. Everything was handled gently, respectfully and humanely, and that made an incredibly difficult experience a little easier to bear.
Every pet deserves a veterinary practice like this.
