We created Harry’s Healing Hub and it’s all because of a wonderful, amazing, pure hearted, strong spirited little Yorkshire Terrier called Harry.
Harry came into our lives in 2014 and gave us so much happiness every single day all through the years, until October 2022, when we had to say goodbye. Our lives have been shattered since losing our best friend and companion.
We have somehow struggled through the following days and weeks so far in a blur, facing overwhelming sadness and feeling utterly lost. I felt like (and still feel like) I don’t know what to do, cry, scream, stay in bed all day, or all three? I sometimes can’t function properly and am overwhelmed by many things. Did we do the right thing? Could we have done more for him? Did he know how much I love him? The terrible all-consuming guilt, the utter despair at making THAT final decision, the horrific aftermath and not being able to face seeing anyone whilst simultaneously feeling alone. Many, many emotions that are still with me today and may very well be carried with me through the rest of my days. This is a place where we hope to help you find some help and guidance through these dark times.
I know grief, know it all too well. It’s a well-trodden path I’ve walked down many times before, having parted with people and animals from our family that I love beyond belief. Each one very different, and yet each the same with insurmountable pain and the knowledge that I’d never be able to see them ever again. It’s the finality of it all. Things cannot be undone; I can’t do anything to change this and feeling like everything is out of my control.
Our relationship with Harry and our grief for him, will be different compared to how many others may be feeling, but some things may sound familiar. There is no right or wrong way to grieve as each individual person’s experiences, emotions and personal beliefs are unique to them. I am not a professional counsellor or grief/life coach, and I do not hold any qualifications in this subject matter, but I have lived through loss many times before.
There is no judgement, no mandate and definitely no ‘formal stages of grief.’ But I do recognise that there are times where you may need to seek expert advice and medical help, which is absolutely the right thing to do and there are resources out there, which I will sign-post (UK-based).
This site will be updated with posts about Harry so we can tell you about his life, along with our wonderful adventures and journey with Harry. We’ll talk about the things that have helped us slowly take small steps through our loss and also what I found that didn’t help! How do you cope with the aftermath of losing your beloved family member? What is the right thing to do? How do I deal with anniversaries or certain times of the year like Christmas? I would love to hear from you and the ways you found that helped. Together we can be stronger, and some light can come from our darkest times.
We will also be raising awareness about rescue dogs, which our beautiful Harry was and the condition he had called CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) that claimed his life in the end. All the research into medication and foods etc. that we investigated, which might help someone else. I will be exploring the people who conduct research into this disease with hope in our hearts that one day, there will be treatment available to delay or even cure it!
I want to create a place where people, or at the very least someone, can come to and share their thoughts and feelings about how they are coping with their loss, or maybe just read through how I have been trying to deal with it and get some comfort or some small sense of peace for a while. You aren’t alone and there are people out there who can help. It’s not right that anyone should feel like they are alone in their grief. It’s a long road, and no one knows how it’ll go, but taking the smallest steps forward, you can get there. You are welcome to email or join us anytime at Harry’s Healing Hub.
We are where we are right now, and that’s OK.
Sending love and comfort to you x
