An Afterlife Message About a White Owl
July 23, 2025How Do You Survive Grief?
“Karen, please make the pain go away.”
I hear this from so many bereaved pet parents.
I wish I could. But the only one who can do that is you.
How Do You Survive Grief?
Some days, the ache of grief feels like it will swallow you whole. If you have lost a beloved companion and are searching for a way through the pain, I want you to know: you’re not alone on this path, and there is no wrong way to grieve. The way out is through—by allowing yourself to truly feel, you open the door to healing.
You Must Feel It to Heal It…
So often, we try to outrun our sorrow. We distract ourselves, push away tears, or tell ourselves we “should” be over it by now. But grief doesn’t work on a schedule, and it certainly doesn’t respond to logic. The loss of a cherished animal companion is a wound that cuts deep. The truth is, on some level, we must feel it to heal it.
Letting yourself feel means giving yourself permission to cry, to miss them fiercely, and to honor every emotion that rises. It means sitting quietly with your pain, even when it feels unbearable. It’s in these moments of honesty—with yourself and your heart—that the first rays of comfort begin to shine through.
Grief will change you. It’s a path of self-discovery, and every small step is a victory. Be gentle with yourself, honor your progress, and remember—your departed companions are always near, and the love you shared never ends.
Share your experience in the comments below
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12 Comments
I tried to outrun it just like you said. That did not work for me. It came back in waves and the pain was even more intense the second, third and fourth time around. Finally, I had a breakthrough. I took your advice from your book, The Pet I Can’t Forget, and I started asking for a sign. At first, nothing happened. Then it was like the floodgates were unleashed. Now, I get signs from my sweet Balloo almost every day. I cannot thank you enough. I’m so ready for the next chapter of my life to begin because I know Balloo will be right by my side. Blessings to you.
You are right. I avoided the pain for so long after my beloved soulmate cat, Mr Wizard died at 19. It was so deep I couldn’t function. My best friend sent me your books. I thank God for him. And you.
Please, keep writing. You have no idea how you saved my life.
Karen,
Thank you for always sharing the HOW TO part. I know it is my journey and I have to find my path but I don’t know what to do sometimes. Your words have helped me so much. I found your youtube channel and by some miracle, I feel so much better. You are a gift from the heavens. Thank you. Please tell my boy, Samson that I love him and miss him.
I tried everything and nothing worked.
Group therapy, individual therapy, online support. The ONLY thing that helped me was when I found a small feather in my bathroom. I had just finished your book The One Pet I CAn’t Forget and the chapter about Congo, the parrot was my favorite. I was not a full believer but I missed my dog, Chester so much it hurt to breathe. I asked Chester to send me a sign. Then about a week later, I found a tiny white feather on the countertop. I don’t have birds so it was an obvious sign. Chester was a bird dog. He loved it. He was the best. I knew instantly it was him. That changed everything for me. He is the pet I will never forget. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul.
I just found your site and I don’t think anything will help me. I am devastated. I had to say goodbye to Francesca, my Standard Poodle after just 9 years. She had a spleen tumor that ruputered. I will never be okay. I just hurt all the time.
I just finished reading your book, The Pet I Can’t Forget, and I know now that I want to connect with my dog more than ever. I have seen signs but there is so much more I need to know to help me out of this grief. I want to let go of all the negative thoughts but I need help doing that. Thank you for writing your books and sharing with those of us who are in such a painful state of grief. I will try leaning into my pain. Blessings
I’m reaching out to you. I recently lost my wonderful best friend . His name is Bugger and I want to know if you can reach out to him in the afterlife. I am grieving so much for him loved him so dearly. I don’t know what to do. Please help.
I just wanna know how can I have a session with you?
I really need your help.
My dog passed away 10 days ago and I am not in a good situation,please help me out with that.
When my beloved Sadie passed away I was adrift in a current of emotions that would not be ignored. I just gave in to it and spent a lot of time alone with my grief. Some days I just sat with her blanket crying and looking at her pictures. I painted pictures of her, wrote letters to her, and tried to figure out who I was without her. I just let myself feel ALL the emotions. One day, after about six months, a new girl showed up in my life, and I named her Evie. I was asking Sadie in my mind if she had sent Evie to me. At that exact moment I felt my heart swell up with love and all my sadness seemed to just fly out of the top of my head. Sadie had sent Evie to help me heal.
Hi Karen,
I found white feathers shortly after my cat, Lucy passed. This was the 1st time a deceased pet ever left something behind. I was hoping it meant she wanted to reincarnate back to me but instead I found a calico cat like her that needed to be adopted that looked so much like her. I feel so blessed to have been able to adopt this other cat that needs and loves me. Her name is Belle. Nine months after my older cat, Auto died my elderly father passed away and he needed someone to adopt his cat, Charlie who was a black tuxedo cat. Both of these cats were older but I didn’t care I was happy to adopt them and loved having them! Charlie suddenly became very ill 10 months after I adopted him and a year from the time I adopted him from my father who passed, I had to have Charlie put down. My dog Shelby passed away in July of 2023 11 months after Charlie passed and before Lucy passed. Lucy passed away 5 1/2 months after Shelby passed. I dealt with the grief of losing Shelby by adopting my chihuahua-rat terrier mix Apple exactly 3 months from the time I lost my black chihuahua, Shelby.
White feathers are a beautiful afterlife sign. That must have felt amazing. You’ve had so many beautiful souls to share this life with. Adopting or rescuing another is a wonderful way to heal. Thank you for sharing
I just want to tell you thank you for your book “The Amazing Afterlife of Animals”. It helped me cope more with the not knowing part when my dog went missing. I carried so much grief, guilt and pain. You really helped me. I hope to find him soon. Blessings