For Death is But a Passing Phase of Life: Riding The Grief Waves Resulting From The Death of Pet and Human Loss Within a Culturally Fluid World

Abstract

We, as living beings, all cross paths with death of others and of ourselves, as well as the grief that follows. However, people in many cultures and societies are often discouraged from talking about death and dying. Death and grief as a result of it happen in response to not only human loss, but also from pet loss. In fact, the number of people who own pets has increased over the years. Furthermore, the world has become smaller and more mobile, with many people migrating and immigrating to cultures and societies that might lack culturally sensitive supports for those in grief. A review of the literatures also found a lack of supports in pet loss and grieving individuals who live in a fluid world in which they negotiate different sets of meanings and values. This autoethnographic thesis aims to explore the lived experience of an international student who is grieving both the loss of a pet and a human while struggling with the values and meanings of living in a fluid world. Results show that grief is unique and ongoing. The importance of death rituals and its possible impact on grief are also studied. Implications for counselling are offered.