ashetlandpony | Jan. 28th, 2020

Although I am an atheist, I believe the Judaic tradition of bereavement is wonderfully healing. The Aveilut specifies certain acts that are to be performed a week, a month, and a year after a loved one's death. Today, I am observing Shadow's Yahrtzeit (a year's time), which marks the end of the formal period of bereavement. Accordingly, this past weekend, I placed a black marble headstone on Shadow's grave, and today, a candle burns over his special place to the right of my chair where he died.

So the time has finally come to stop mourning. Although I will always be sad that Shadow isn't with me anymore, the wound of the death itself is now healed. I can go on with my life, feeling only joy and gratitude for the time he spent with me, and be happy once again when I think of him. :)