How Their Cuddles Help Ease My Grief

Grief has a way of changing things. It can sneak up on you when you least expect it. It settles into the quiet moments and replaces them with a heaviness that’s hard to put into words. There are days when the ache feels endless and getting out of bed feels like too much. But then, I feel the gentle press of a warm body beside me, and I remember I’m not alone.

My dogs have this way of just knowing. They sense when my heart is too heavy. Without a sound, they climb into my lap or curl against my chest. In those moments, the world softens. The edges of my sadness blur. Their warmth seeps into me, grounding me in something simple and pure — love without questions and comfort without words.

When I hold them close, I can feel my grief loosen just a little. Their fur against my face, the rhythmic rise and fall of their breathing, the soft thump of a tail, tiny kisses — it all reminds me that life still holds small, gentle things. They don’t ask me to move on; they just stay with me while I find my way through it.

Cuddling them feels like a quiet kind of healing. It doesn’t erase the pain, but it eases the grief. In their arms I find moments of peace.

My dogs may not understand grief, but they understand love. And sometimes, that’s all I need.