For my whole life, I had lived with two cats and a dog. But last May, one of my cats peacefully passed away from heart failure. This distressed my family since she had been with us for 17 years and was one of the nicest cats I’ve ever met. After her passing, I was reminded that death is the end; there was no way for me to bring her back. I grieved, and sadness overwhelmed me. In time, I began to hang out more with my dog and other cat, trying to make each moment memorable, since death will eventually take them too.
It dawned on me that after going through heartbreak—whether from the loss of a friend, a pet, or a partner—people often hesitate to love again. They may feel they have lost the ability to love, much like I initially felt when my cat passed away. This kind of depression can make them miss out on wonderful relationships, since they pull themselves back from the world of love.
To avoid these negative thoughts, you can get back up and find new people or pets to love. You may be thinking, “What about my past love? It would be wrong to forget about them.” There is no need to forget about past relationships; instead, reflect on those memories positively and allow space in your heart for new people and pets. You might have heard of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous lines from In Memoriam A. H.H.:
’Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all (Tennyson 15-16).
These lines emphasize the importance of moving forward with your life and opening your heart to new relationships while still remembering loved ones from the past.
Even though it may be hard at first to love again, it’s important to remember that life requires enduring many major emotional and physical challenges. We will always learn ways to overcome them, allowing us to expand our capacity to love.