Grief, Smartphone Photos and Slideshows – Putting it All Together

This past year I have written blog posts about the importance of smartphone photos and how they can produce wonderful slideshows.  What I haven’t talked about is the grief we all experience after losing a pet and how valuable photos and videos help us reflect on beautiful memories with our fur children.  At      Angel Dog Photography we have created many slideshows for clients whose pets have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. These slideshows have become a labor of love while telling stories about the fur children we all cherish. Slideshow memories can help us reflect on the joy we shared with our pets for many years to come.

Creating Slideshows Helps with Grief

When clients request memorial slideshows they will provide us with historical photos and videos that reflect their pets’ funny quirks and special personalities.   We strongly believe gathering these special memories and stories helps with the grieving process and keeps these special animals alive in our hearts forever.  The familiar saying often seen on pets’ urns “Dogs Leave Paw Prints On Your Heart Forever” certainly rings true when we reflect on how our pets have enriched our lives. Creating a slideshow is a great way to cope with losing a special pet.

Other Ways of Coping with Grief

Here are other way to cope with the loss of a beloved fur child:

1. Create a memorial—This can be a photo album, a tree planted in your pet’s memory, or a box with their favorite toys
2. Allow yourself to feel the pain—By facing the loss, the emptiness, and the tears, you work through the grieving process
3. Seek outside help— Sharing your grief with family, friends, or a support group helps with perspective and keeps your pet’s memory alive
4. Volunteer to help pets—Losing a pet can be a catalyst to helping other animals. This takes your mind off the loss while providing a wonderful service
5. Give it time—This quote by Maya Angelou speaks to this elegantly:

“And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.”

Here are links to our other blog posts that explore these topics – The Importance of Smartphone Photos and You Can Create Something Great with Your Smartphone Photos!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.