Sisters-in-Service
Are you a women veteran who feels unseen and unheard? Do you struggle with finding your purpose after service? Sisters-in-Service is a podcast that gives women veterans the platform to talk about those exact issues and more. Hear from other veterans, military spouses and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) just like you that have overcome their transition from the military. Every Tuesday this podcast encourages women veterans to stand up and be counted because as a group we have a voice. From your host - Cat Corchado - The Voice Connecting Women Veterans
Sisters-in-Service
Love, Loss and Self-Love: Nurturing Yourself Through the Grieving Process
Grief arrives without warning and stays without permission. After saying goodbye to Brady, my 16-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and faithful "workout warrior," I'm sharing this deeply personal episode from a raw, tender place of loss.
The bond between humans and their pets creates a unique kind of love—uncomplicated, steady, and honest. Brady wasn't just my dog; he was woven into the fabric of my daily existence. He was the first face greeting me when I opened the door, the loyal companion who looked directly into my eyes as if understanding every word, and the constant presence beside me during workouts. When such a powerful connection is severed, the silence becomes deafening.
Through tears and vulnerability, I offer gentle guidance for anyone navigating the grief of losing a beloved pet: Allow yourself to feel everything without judgment. Create small rituals to honor their memory. Lean on friends who understand. Most importantly, reject the arbitrary timelines society tries to impose on your healing journey. Those first days after losing Brady, my wellness routines faltered—I skipped workouts, chose comfort foods over nutrition, and that was perfectly okay. Sometimes self-compassion means giving yourself permission to simply survive rather than thrive.
Let this episode be a reminder that grieving a pet is valid, significant, and worthy of your patience. Our furry companions teach us about unconditional love in life, and in their absence, they teach us about grace. If you're walking this difficult path, I see you, I honor your loss, and I hope you'll join me in choosing wellness even in grief—not by forcing yourself back to "normal," but by carrying their love forward in everything you do.
Welcome to Sisters in Service podcast. Most of you know me as a strong advocate for women veterans in being recognized not only as veterans but also as women who are changing the world through our passion of serving even after service. This podcast is my passion by telling all the stories of military brats, military spouses, active duty and veterans, not to forget the veteran service organizations that help us along our transition journey. I want to thank you in advance for listening. I hope that you will join me. Every week, a new podcast and episode comes out every Tuesday, so I hope that you will join and I hope that you enjoy. This podcast is brought to you by Small Space Pilates. Are you ready to get fit and fabulous from the comfort of your own home? Look no further than Small Space Pilates. With live online Pilates and strength training classes, a video library and a-allowed policy, you can achieve your fitness goals without ever leaving your house. Click on the link for your complimentary week and start your journey to feeling fabulous today. Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of why Not? Wellness.
Speaker 1:Today's episode is one from the heart. It's a tender reflection on loss, love and the ways we can show ourselves grace during the hardest moments in our life. Recently, I had to say goodbye to my sweet boy, brady. He was 16, almost 16 years old. He was my best friend, my co-pilot, my comfort and my constant. He was also. I called him my workout warrior because he was always here working out with me. Losing him has left an ache that words barely touch. This episode is for anyone who's ever lost and loved a fur baby, who's felt that quiet, empty space where unconditional love once lived and, most importantly, it's a reminder to be gentle with yourself in grief.
Speaker 1:Brady was more than a dog. He was woven into the fabric of my life than a dog. He was woven into the fabric of my life. I just read this article about ways to know if your dog loves you, and a few of them were does the dog follow you around? Does it lay on your clothes? What else does it do? Does it snuggle next to you? One of the things that I found most loving about him is that I would cup his little face and he would look directly into my eyes like he almost knew what I was saying to him, that he understood, and that was the other thing, and I said we were truly bonded. Brady was a loyal soul with wise eyes and a heart that never wavered. 16 years is a lifetime, especially for a Cavalier King Charles, and yet somehow it was not nearly long enough.
Speaker 1:Losing him has reminded me just how deeply our pets become family. They don't just live in our homes. They live in our routines, our hearts, our memories. There's something uniquely pure about the love between a human and their dog. It's uncomplicated, it's steady, it's honest. They ask for so little and give so much. When that presence is gone, it can be incredibly disorienting.
Speaker 1:Grief doesn't follow rules, and neither does healing. You may feel a wave of sadness, hit you while folding laundry, or hear their pause in your memory when the house is quiet. All of that is okay. I will tell you that the silence is deafening. All the little things are. But you thought you forgot. I'm rushing back to you.
Speaker 1:One of the things that I've learned during this process is to be kind to yourself in the grieving process. I want to gently offer a few ways we can be kind to ourselves. Allow yourself to feel everything. There's no such thing as too much when it comes to missing someone you love. Cry when you need to laugh at the memories and talk about them. Often Practice, rest without guilt.
Speaker 1:Grief is exhausting. Give yourself permission to slow down, cancel plans or just breathe. That one was hard for me. I wanted to keep going, because that's what I've always done is keep going, but I realized I had to stop. I had to give myself grace. I couldn't just push through this. Create small rituals, light a candle, write them a letter, visit their favorite spot. These gentle acts can help you honor their memory and start to process. Brady was always home. He was that first thing I saw when I opened the door, his little tail wagging. I called him Smushy Face because he had jowls and he would lie a certain way and his face would be up like this. But all of those things Lean into connection. Share your story, listen to others. You're not alone in this kind of pain and talking helps. It's always a great idea to have your friends around, because we understand. If any of your friends love dogs like I love dogs, then they'll get it. And say no to timelines. You don't have to move on. You simply move forward, carrying their love and memory with you.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about giving yourself grace. One of the hardest parts of grief is the voice that says you should be over this by now. I only need this much time. I should be okay in a month, but I want to say this clearly you are allowed to feel deeply. You are allowed to mourn for as long as you need. Our dogs aren't just dogs, they're family, they're companions, they're protectors and the ones who see us at our worst and love us anyway. That's what I miss is their continuous love, their unconditional love. No matter what your hair looked like, your makeup, no matter how you're dressed, they loved you anyway, and that's not something you get over. It's something you carry with you with tenderness. So give yourself grace, rest when you need to Celebrate the love and don't apologize for the tears. Brady taught me so much about loyalty, joy, presence and love. Even in his absence, he's still teaching me and I carry him with me always. To anyone grieving for a baby today I see you. I honor your love and your loss and I hope you'll join me in choosing wellness even in grief. And I hope you'll join me in choosing wellness even in grief.
Speaker 1:I do have to say that you probably expected me to talk about fitness and wellness, and I am about taking care of yourself. Let me tell you the first couple days of. I didn't drink the water I was supposed to drink. I didn't work out. I ate all the wrong food. I had potato chips, I had burgers, I had ice cream, two days in a row, and you know what. All of that's okay. All of that's okay. So remember them through kindness, through grace and through remembering the ones we made, who made our lives infinitely better just by being in them. Thank you for listening. Thank you for helping me through the tears. So until next time, be well, be gentle and give yourself the love that they always gave you. So until next time. This is Kat Korchata, your movement specialist. Keep it moving, thank you.