I've come to believe that the greatest misery is not the inability to be loved, but the inability to express love. When the object of your love goes out of your life, that doorway to love's expression closes. We want terribly to love, and to love someone who receives boundless happiness from it, and expresses it so radiantly. Grief is therefore the loss of the past happiness, and sorrow is the loss of future happiness.

I lost my dog a year ago. He was a rescue Pomeranian, rather large for the breed, and had lived a long life...but the immediate circumstance was a terrible crisis he could not survive. I won't say more on that. He was the happiest dog on Earth, being with us after an earlier life of neglect and abuse. I was going through a heart ailment and his energy gave me energy. He slowed down, and I slowed down. Now, I remember him in my prayers, and continue on.

We are all convinced we will reunite in Heaven. Why is that, really? I think it is visceral logic. It would not be Heaven if it were not so. We know that God knows this. Were we not made in His image?

I maintain that, while man and woman were expelled from Eden, the animals were not. God allows us to be in touch with what he meant His creation to be, by having relationships with animals. Not only with dogs. Cats have their world and affection. Horses are a higher order of love and friendship, and their death is the death of a dear friend and partner. We are privileged through this love to touch, in the most gentle way, the Holy Spirit shining through these wonderful beings.

If you did everything could could, then take solace in that. In matters of love, there is nothing worse than regret. Grieve, relive your love, sorrow the empty place in the future, but take comfort in having no regret. Our souls will not be spotless, but having no regret comes far closer than anything else.