When One Family Member Can’t Move On After Losing a Pet
I create custom memorial gifts to honor beloved pets, and through my work, I often hear stories from grieving pet owners. One common situation I hear about is this: “Our pet passed away, and while most of the family eventually recovered, one person—usually the mother—just couldn’t move on.”
This kind of grief imbalance within a family is not unusual. While some members seem to return to daily life, others continue to struggle with deep sorrow and emotional isolation.
But in some cases, a simple memorial gift has helped bring families closer together and sparked emotional healing. I’d like to share one such story.
In one family, the mother was heartbroken after the loss of their dog. But what made it even more painful was that her husband didn’t cry during the farewell. She quietly held on to this disappointment, feeling as if she was the only one truly grieving.
It seemed to her that the rest of the family had already moved on. Because no one else openly showed their sadness, she kept everything bottled up inside.
Then, their daughter—who had contacted me for a custom order—created a knitted cushion using a photo of their beloved dog. She gave it to her parents as a surprise gift.
When they received the cushion, the father—who hadn’t cried at all when the dog passed—broke down in tears.
Seeing those tears, the mother realized:
“He was hurting too.”
That moment helped her understand that she wasn’t alone in her grief. She later told me that from that day on, she began to feel more hopeful and less burdened.
I imagine that the father might have been in such deep shock during the farewell that he couldn’t process the pain. Sometimes, when grief is too overwhelming, it’s difficult to cry.
Not being able to cry can be the most painful kind of grief.
That’s why I hope people will try to understand those who seem emotionless after a loss. They may be suffering more than we realize.
If you—or someone you love—are going through this kind of grief, I recommend finding a private space where you can allow yourself to cry and begin healing.
In my case, I think I was able to recover quickly because I had family members who cried with me.
Click here to see what my family was like
Related Articles
The Emotional Changes of Pet Memorials
Here’s what I’m making
We knit yarn to create pet memorial items.
