Last week I got a very special call to make a memorial for a lady and her beloved horse Iris that passed away. It was an honor for me to help her and one of the most beautiful memories I’ll cherish forever. These people were so kind to me, strangers that I’ve never met. I felt so welcome and safe with them, and I’m so happy they felt save enough to share this moment with me and cry on my shoulders. For her it was very healing, and made saying goodbye to her dear friend a little bit easier, as she would be taken away by a destruction company. I almost ended up not going, but it feels like it was meant to be that they couldn’t pick her up that day so I could visit them for this. Iris was a beautiful Friesian mare that sadly died of colic. Everyone in the village knew about this lady and her horse. She was the crazy horse lady. The lady that all the kids came to, to be with her horse. She also never used a saddle or a bit. She believes that you have to ask a horse to do what you want and not force them with pain. This horse was so gentle, letting kids walk under her belly. Even the vet cried when he had to put her down.
At first I was so nervous to visit them, but as soon as I saw her, I knew only someone as ‘weird’ as me, would ask me to help her with this..We are different people from very different walks of life, but one thing we had in common; we both love animals deeply. I felt so much love for and from these people. I’m so grateful.
this is gorgeous, i really wish post-mortem photography were more of a thing, for both animals and people. i would love to memorialize my kitties this way when they go, and i think i’d like to have myself memorialized in that way as well. its really refreshing to see death positivity like this, too, this kind of thing can be extremely healing.
Thank you for your message, and i agree with you, it can be so healing and i truly hope i can give something like this to my family members and loved ones, one day in the future. My mom has photos of my grandpa in his casket framed and i also have the funeral photos of my dog in my house. I think people are afraid of the lingering sadness, but it gives me a lot of peace to see them.
