Dear Jack,
How do you know when you've healed?
You know you’ve healed when you find yourself saying something like, "I'm glad he never had to get old and sick,” or “I’m so glad I had him for a little while.” “I can’t believe it’s been two years.” “I am blessed to have had her in my life.” You’ve healed when you can tell your story and not shed tears as you tell it.
You also know you’ve healed when you stop crying over everyone else’s losses. It is often in healing others that we can heal ourselves, but sometimes we find it too painful to hear their stories on top of our own. The day will come, however, when you will stop crying over everyone's sad story and that's when you know you have healed your own…when you have the faith that they will heal too and that everything is going to be okay.
Love, Jack
Credits: Jack McAfghan: Letters From Rainbow Bridge
About this letter
This short letter is part of Jack McAfghan: Letters From Rainbow Bridge. A reader asks how you know when you have healed. Jack answers with signs to look for.
Signs of healing Jack describes
Jack says you know you have healed when you find yourself saying things like I am glad I had him for a while, or I am blessed to have had her in my life. Another sign is being able to tell your story without shedding tears, and another is no longer crying over everyone else's losses. He says the day will come when you have faith that they will heal too and that everything is going to be okay.
Healing is not forgetting
Healing does not mean you stop missing your pet. It often means that the memories bring more warmth than pain. Everyone gets there at their own pace, and it is fine if your path looks different from the signs above.
