Plus I had to reconcile myself with the fact that the Church teaches that although pets like dogs are wonderful creatures and it is right to grieve their passing, they do not have immortal souls and therefore do not go to heaven. Sometimes it helped to imagine that when I would come home from work and start bawling because the house was too quiet, Jesus was hugging me and telling me how much he missed her too. I still felt so low, though.
Two days later, my second-oldest sister was married, and it was beautiful... A true sacrament between a couple who were beginning their vocation of matrimony in breathtaking reverence and faith. I felt so blessed to be a part of it, especially since my sister has been through her fair share of heartbreaks. And I know that my now brother-in-law will take care of her--physically, spiritually, and emotionally. So after the low of losing our dog, the wedding was one of the highest points of my life.
It took me a week to recover physically. But I still haven't recovered emotionally or spiritually from that crazy week. My emotional life is pretty flat right now... I'm having trouble feeling the love of Christ in my life, even though I know it's there intellectually. It isn't reaching my heart. I went to a Catholic college conference before coming back to school, but nothing sunk in. Nothing. Except that I don't know anything and need a relationship with Christ.
How do I return to normalcy? Life has been so busy, and after getting very sick last weekend, I know I need to slow down. But maybe I desire something more than just normal.
