Okay, I started to cry when I wrote the title to this post, and I knew it would be an super emotional one.
This October marks the 10 year anniversary of when I lost my first pet of my own, Billy Ray Valentine. I cried for 6 months straight, and my heart has still not full recovered.
Billy Ray had kidney disease, and despite a few surgeries and everything short of a kidney transplant, he left me against his will at just six and a half years old. There isn’t a way to explain to anyone how much I loved him, but he knew, and I don’t think anything or anyone on this earth will ever love me as much as he did. (Note: I have family and my boyfriend plus friends who love me and tell me so, but I believe that the love of a pet is on a different level).
Billy and Ollie were best friends. They slept resting on each other, cleaned each other and loved playing together. When Billy died, Ollie almost died from grief. If you don’t believe animals experience grief, you’ve never had two who loved each other or one who has lost a person.
I adopted Louis Philippe from a vet tech who had cared for Billy. He and Ollie tolerated each other, but Ollie never loved another cat in the eight and a half remaining years of his life like he loved Billy.
When Ollie died last April from cancer at almost 15, my life was shattered. He was loyal and sweet and the only constant in my home life for fourteen and a half years.
I knew that I wanted to honor the two of them by putting their ashes together in a piece of jewelry. I got the idea from my sister, Marni, who had a ring made from a bit of her dog’s ashes by someone on Etsy. It brings her great peace to wear it.
Fours months of Ollie, I lost Louis to kidney failure. Ollie lived a good long life, but Louis’ life was cut short at just eleven, and I was literally beside myself. Louis Philippe was my resuscitation after losing Billy, and his playful spirit and cuddling got me to function normally again. Louis wanted me all to himself, and was super jealous of my other cats. I knew I’d want his ashes in a separate piece.
I found two great designers on Etsy. I was pretty specific about what I wanted, and they were both accommodating and compassionate.
Here is what I had made. The bracelet is from Thoughtfull Keepsakes. The necklace is from Memorial Jewelry Arts. Both can be found on Etsy.
Both of the green beads are filled with a small amount of ashes. The bracelet has Louis’ ashes. The necklace bead has a combo of both Ollie and Billy Ray.
Each piece came with a little kit to gather and funnel the ashes into the beads. You then seal the beads with Gorilla Glue. The instructions were both very clear.
I won’t show you the ashes because it’s too sad and too personal. I’ll just tell you that it’s very emotionally draining, heartbreaking and cathartic. It has been a good step in my healing process.
I am so glad that I did this, and I love that my pieces are true to me and my preppy style and allow me to have my boys with me.
To my three lost ones: Billy Ray, Ollie and Louis Philippe, I will love and miss you forever.
Thank you for reading this.
Xxoo, PF
