For six years, young Anna Halcin shared her home, her life and her happy and sad moments with Sebastian, a happy dog who, in the ups and downs of life, never failed to make her owner smile.
Sebastian and Anna became inseparable companions. “He was very special to me and always will be,” the tutor told The Dodo. Anna added: “Now every time I look down, it’s like he’s hugging me.”
The tattoo
The reason for the frequent memories is that Anna decided to get a tattoo on her left arm, with Sebastian’s face. It is a tribute to the six years of coexistence, marked by fidelity, camaraderie and constant presence.
The tutor said that Sebastian spontaneously learned a gesture that always moved her: on certain occasions, the dog wrapped Anna’s arm with its paws, hugging her friend: “He always loved hugging my arm”, completes the young woman.
It has been said that dogs die sooner because they are born knowing how to love, an attitude that humans need to learn with time and experience. Sebastian showed love at any time, for no particular reason.
Often Anna was distracted, thoughtful, preoccupied with a problem to be solved. When that happened, the dog approached slowly, it didn’t bark or call out to play: it just crossed its paws on Anna’s arm. The gesture was always full of emotion for the tutor.
Six months ago, however, Sebastian said goodbye and ascended to dog heaven. He developed heart failure and did not survive. The furry was not yet seven years old. But, as Rita Lee says, “I won’t mind if I die from the heart: it’s a sign that I loved too much”.
The dog said goodbye in October 2021. In March 2022, Anna decided to immortalize him on her own skin and got the tattoo. “I wanted him to always be with me, no matter what, and the tattoo felt perfect.”
Among the many photos of Sebastian, the owner chose one in which the dog appears in his favorite pose: precisely the one in which he hugs Anna’s arm. The drawing shows only the intertwined paws, but, for the tutor, it is enough to guarantee the homage and memory of the furry one.
The tattoo is an artistic tribute to the friend who has always been by Anna’s side. Just as he embraced his tutor in life, now he does it in spirit, the young woman believes. The project, the research of the images and the production of the drawing on the skin helped Anna overcome the mourning for the death of the dog.
Sebastian left, but he continues to make Anna smile, bringing comfort in the saddest moments or simply evoking fun memories of the coexistence between the two friends. The dog continues to do what it has always done.
The mourning
The tattoo is doing well not just for Anna. Thousands of netizens viewed photos of Sebastian’s drawing on the tutor’s arm. The first post, made on 02.04.22, has already been liked and shared by almost 100 thousand people.
Many Facebook users recalled that they have also had to say goodbye to a furry one, who is always described as a brother, son or best friend. They all had, like billions of others, to overcome absence and sadness.
The loss is really painful. Some people try to overcome it by looking at photos and videos, others remember curious, funny and emotional episodes of coexistence. The important thing is to allow yourself to suffer, to miss, to spend a few days unmotivated, inattentive, sad.
Experiencing grief over the death of a dog is a healthy attitude. There’s nothing wrong with experiencing loss, feeling the loneliness left by a friend who was always ready, anytime, anywhere.
On the contrary, mourning is necessary to move forward. Repressing feelings harms physical and emotional health. For some tutors, the support of a psychologist may be necessary. Others overcome this phase with remembrance, meditation and even prayer.
Later, when sadness becomes a memory, one of the best tributes you can pay to a furry deceased is to choose another mate. There are thousands of dogs waiting for the opportunity to start over. It’s not about replacing a friend, but discovering that, in the heart, there is still room for new relationships.
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