Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

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Losing A Pet Is Never Easy

Losing a beloved pet is never easy, but you can ease your pain and honor your animal’s memory by keeping its ashes in one of the many types of pet urns available.

To many, losing a pet compares to having a close family member or friend die. You tend to be overcome with sadness, grief, and even times, loneliness. Using a pet urn allows you to focus on the happiness and love your pet gave you. With all the different types of containers available, you can display the size and style of urn that gives you the most comfort.

Pet Urns

Types of Pet Urns
The type of urn you choose for your pet depends on its breed and your budget. Larger animals, such as horses, may require a bigger urn, which may cost more than a container for small pet such as bird or lizard. Nonetheless, here are a few styles of pet urns from which to choose:
* Lifesize: These are indoor/outdoor; statue-style containers are roughly the size of the animal that died.
* Digital photo: These small wooden urns come with a digital photograph screen to upload and display pet pictures.
* Rock: Predominantly placed outdoors, these urns are made from a durable granite material or natural stone that stands up to harsh weather.
* Figurine: These containers have a statue or figurine of the breed of pet that died on top of a box that holds the remains.

Where to Display a Pet Urn
You can place your pet’s urn in a special place inside your house, such as on a shelf or in glass cabinet, or outdoors in a garden or under a tree. Whatever you decide will be healing as you go through the grieving process.

Urn Garden Pet Urns

Proper Period of Mourning

Over the Christmas break we were discussing the holiday show Christmas at the White House. It was fun to see the finery and traditions over the years. But December 1963 was different, the White House was dark. After the JFK assassination President Johnson declared a month long period of mourning and the White House was shrouded in black with crepe draping the door ways and chandeliers.

On the morning of December 22, the black crepe was removed and replaced by holly, wreaths, and mistletoe. Later that evening, the Christmas tree was lit.  Lady Bird Johnson later wrote, “I walked the well-lit hall for the first time with the sense that life was going to go on, that we as a country were going to begin again.”

The young man that I was talking to thought a month long period of mourning was an old-school custom and would not be done today. A month? Too long. Our attention span, he said. He was speaking for the 20-25 year old young professionals that he knew.

Most people prefer the light over the dark, especially in December. And I agree that we’ve moved past the Victorian custom of draping every mirror in the house. Now, it seems that black wreaths and bunting are used for Halloween decorations. Is the idea of hanging a black wreath on the door or some hanging black ribbons out of the question when a death has occurred? Inspiration comes from the from the black feather wreaths I’ve seen. The symbolism is subtle, tactile, and the black is dramatic. It never goes out of style.

black feather wreath