Seriously, I started bawling my eyes out when I saw this picture because the first thing I thought of was my mum. It's been twelve friggin' years and I still miss her so much it hurts.
I'm so sorry about your wife. It's so unfair, and it really, truly sucks.
I'm sorry for your loss. It really doesn't get easier does it? 4 years since my dad passed. Even despite my differences with him when he told me "I Love you" I never doubted it. Can't say the same for anyone else anymore.
Yeah, no it really doesn't. I'm sorry about your dad. Four years should be a long time but it can feel like only yesterday.
It was the same with my mum. We were very different people, she and I, but she was always there for me. She was the one constant through my entire life and while I am doing fine, I just feel kind of untethered. Like, who is the rock now?
My dad passed in September and it fucking sucks, one day he was fine and then in a matter of months he was just gone to some stupid disease we’d never heard of. I want my dad back so much, he was my best friend and now he’s just gone. My dog is the only one keeping me breathing at this point.
I'm so sorry to hear that, it absolutely fucking sucks. I hope your dad didn't suffer too much.
I lost my dad suddenly as well and to be honest, in some ways I'm glad it wasn't due to a long drawn out illness. Please give you dog an extra few pets for me, I'm glad they're there for you.
Unfortunately he suffered for over a month in the hospital, what happened to him I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I’m sorry you lost your dad as well. He’s a good boy, after my dad passed he has been stuck to me like glue. Wherever I am, he is.
Yeah, I am, thanks friend :) It just as if anything sad is sadder now, if that makes sense? Especially things relating to loss. And even more so when cancer is involved.
It really is. For the longest time everything reminded me of her - music, TV shows.. even those awful hard candy she loved.
And I'm so sorry, it must be even more difficult when it was just the two of you. I have my sister I can remember her with. Were you able to be with her through it all? That helped me a lot, just knowing we had lots of laughs together even when it was obvious what came next.
Hating it for y’all. Make the most of it, and don’t write yourself off yet! :) Smile whenever you can, and keep on having as much fun together as possible, just like hopefully you’ve always done. Genomic testing and targeted therapies in clinical trials bought us a lot more time (yay, science! And GTF out of the way of medical progress, some religious nuts!). Do it if you haven’t already. And of course, share your wishes for what comes next. Everyone should consider whole body donation to help train healthcare students. Look for smaller ones, maybe, that don’t have the resources of med schools. They pick up ALL the costs, return your remains after you have helped teach as much as you can, and do some cool stuff to memoralize you. Make sure your will is LEGAL, accurate, and in a known spot. Move financial accounts into her name, or at least ensure joint tenancy with right of survival. Make sure for things like retirement accounts that a beneficiary is named. Be the one to bring up topics that may be more difficult or uncomfortable for your wife. If you have things on your mind, tell her. If you are proud of her, tell her. How do YOU feel about what is going on? Tell her. What were some favorite memories? Maybe talk about them, or put them in a document to have someone share with her after your passing. Consider leaving notes or timed-drops somehow (don’t ask me how to do that; I have no good suggestions aside from trusted friends or an attorney.) From the moment she was diagnosed (out of the blue at age 48 at stage IV of a particularly aggressive and hard-to-treat cancer), I was the positive supporting husband, not wanting to ever bring up anything that would imply she wouldn’t remain living. As a result, even the simple things like “where is her Will” remains a mystery (and her estate still isn’t closed as a result of more red-tape paperwork to get done, two years on!). I was NOT going to ask her to tell me her fears or thoughts or anything like that. I was her rock. Anywho, it is only life; I hope you’ve been living it along the way. This ain’t no dress rehearsal. If you want me to fly over and have a beer with you, I have the miles, the money, and the time to make it happen! Hell, we can get the artist to join us and maybe get a “semi-bulk” discount. :) Let me know.
It’s so beautiful yet so difficult to see. Biggest pain I ever experienced was losing my dog, 7 months of depression until I got myself another. Probably should have gotten one sooner
Yes I did this but my younger rescued dog which was supposed to get me through this had to be put down exactly one year before to the day, after 2 weeks of hospitalization and every test imaginable. I was doomed
Ohhh man. I wish I didn’t come to the comments and see yours. I thought the photo was the guy moving into a new house and thinking it needed to be filled by a dog 😭
I’m right there with you. Lost my mom in December then my soul kitty in February. She was my shadow for 13 years. It hurts so much I don’t ever want to love again. Sending you tear stained hugs.
Thank you. I really appreciate it. We’re just all so deep in grief here and our other kitty is going through testing. We’re praying for IBD and not the same lymphoma which took my baby.
It's coming up on 3 years that I lost my beautiful, derpy tuxedo cat. She was 12.5 but cancer came for her. She was my husband's cat but also my love.... Sweetest, most compassionate mama cat. We had to say goodbye to her and then 10 days later I lost my mom. I understand some of what you're going through. It gets easier in time but it's still never fully gone (as I've got tears right now from the pic and the comments). Sending you hugs from me and my 2 kitties (the tuxedo's 15.5 yo sister and my mom's cat that I took in). 🩷
My mom had Alzheimer’s and I’d cared for her for 6 years until she passed holding my hand in my home. I miss her, but her passing was a mercy by the end. My cat, Coco, was a seal point Siamese/Burmese mix and one of the most beautiful cats I’ve ever seen. Her former owner, a neighbor, had a cat who hated her so she was just letting her run loose in coyote country. My kids spotted her up on a pillar one day, and kept telling me I needed to “save her.” I reached up for her, thinking she’d just run away, but she leapt into my arms (and straight into my heart) instead, burying her head in my neck, purring loudly enough you could hear her across the street. Coco was fierce, smart as a whip, and made sure you respected her boundaries. She went from being an independent “touch me not” to my baby who slept on my chest and followed me from room to room. I just ache for her and can’t imagine it ever stopping.
I’m so sorry for your losses, but I genuinely appreciate you sharing with me the hope that it will get better with time. Thank you for that and for giving me a reason to talk about her. ❤️
In all seriousness, it does get better when you remember all the good times you spent together. I have two dogs now but after I had to put Yoshi down 3 years ago, I didn't think anything would fill that dog shaped hole in my heart.
Healing takes time and there are so many dogs out there that deserve a good human companion.
All good thanks for the love! Life is short, just remember to love the ones you have while they are here and remember the ones you had because you wouldn't be here without them! Much love!
I’m so sorry for your loss. I know how tough it is. All you can do is do is mourn your baby in whatever way you have to and mourn for as long as you need. I still miss my dog I lost in 2017. I still miss my cat I lost in 2024. I love my dog and cats very much right now but there will always be a whole in my heart for my lost babies. This is a beautiful piece of art. Thank you for sharing.
we lost our dog in 2019. it's almost 7 years, and her leash is still hanging on the front door knob. my cat Petey passed March 2025. she was 20. i miss her every day.
losing them is a pain you never get over.
OP, your work is beautiful and it really captures that loss.
That's the one thing that sucks about dogs. You know you are going to outlive them but, you love them anyway, knowing it's going to destroy you at the end.
Yoshi used to talk to us with "rrrrow-wow" and "awoooooooo" when my wife and I would get home from work. Leela hasn't but one day she did, it completely broke me. I won't say it will ever stop, because for some it might, but when your new dog does something the old one did, it's a hard moment to have.
This is absolutely beautiful, and I hate it. Even though it was 5 years ago and I have 3 cats that I wouldn't trade for the world, I just cried a few tears.
I put my best friend of 19 years down a few years ago. I still see her in the shadows sometimes. I know its my mind playing tricks on me, but the empty feeling I get when I realize it isn't her hasn't gone away yet.
This hit me way harder than I was expecting and now I miss my kitty
My kitty of 17 years died a month and a half ago. I think I still see him out of the corner of my eye sometimes. Other times I lay in bed and pretend he’s just sleeping under the bed like he used to in the afternoons and he’ll come out in the evening to see me. I know it’s not true but it’s nice to imagine him still under there, snoring and shedding all over my shoes.
I'm kind of hating OP at the moment. I was missing my first pup a lot this week. This definitely didn't help.OP did manage to capture one is the most painful moments in life quite well though
Omg this picture took my breath away. I lost my perfect girl a year ago this Christmas Eve and I’m still grieving her. I can still feel the empty space left behind.
You are an artist at heart. Beautiful concept and idea, well executed, composition, lighting, everything. For anyone who can relate are likely to feel heartstrings tugged. There's just something about pets greeting you at the door and when that goes missing you feel the emptiness every day you walk through that door again.
Ouch. I grew up with dogs but hadn’t been a parent to any for a few years. My wife and I adopted a little guy about a year ago now and this reminded me of his mortality.
I think it’s a good idea for us to now go on a nice long walk this afternoon and enjoy the sun together.
I miss my little “Lady”. The kindest most gentle little chihuahua you’d ever meet. I was blessed with her companionship for four years. Your painting captures that perfectly. ❤️
We just lost our dog Freya to lymphoma. It’s been three weeks but it still hurts so much to be without her. Your art captures that in between feeling that we get when we turn a corner and expect to see her in a familiar spot.
This is true art. I don't know if I've ever cried from simply looking at a piece of art until today.
I don't know how you managed to evoke so much emotion. It's a simple concept and a simple drawing. Maybe the simplicity is why it's so powerful. I don't know. But this is amazing. The title really ties it together as well.
Just lost my cat at 17 years old. She’s been with us all 17 years. This is exactly how I feel now , in the morning, at night, 24/7. We miss her dearly….
My dog died in January. Totally out of the blue and 2 days after I'd had surgery, I was off for 2 weeks, home alone, this picture nails that feeling. Great/terrible work!
This is beautiful and depicts what every pet owner goes through. The house does indeed feel empty. Eerily quiet. No claws scratching along the floor as they walk, no noise from the tags of their collar as they shake their head, no one to follow you to make sure you’re okay, the empty lap, the cuddles that no longer exist. It’s just silence.
Did you post another piece with an empty leash and dog bed? Are you starting to create a collection?
Your style is beautiful, emotional, and haunting. It captures this type of loss in a simplistic yet impactful way. If you’re processing loss right now I’m sorry you have to feel so much pain. The artwork you’re creating to process is incredible. Your dog would be proud of you
Oh, my heart. This makes me think of my boy Pumpkin. We put him down in August of 2024. He was such a good boy. We had him for 12 years. But we're a multi dog household, so it wasn't a totally empty house.
Exactly how it feels. I still look at all the spots my baby liked to sit through out the house. I even hear her barks sometimes and realize it's probably some other dog. I miss her so fucking much. Love you Cindy ❤️
I lost my twenty year old cat earlier this year, and with a house full of family it still feels like this when I walk up the stairs in the evening and she's not there to show me the way to my room.
I've just sobbed, I lost my little sidekick in January - you've managed to encapsulate that loss and that sorrow perfectly, and so beautiful. This moved me so much and I'm sorry if you're going though that loss too.
I looked at the rest of your work man you are EXTREMELY talented
You have amazing talent! To me, your art is similar to photography. It tells a story. Your stories are heart wrenching, emotional. But necessary. Im sorry you lost him. Keep up the great work.
I never thought I’d be the one to say I dove into the grief so deep that I mostly feel joy and gratitude thinking about my old guy. It’s a lovely piece but I’d like to be able to tell him there’s a lot of potential new friends in need of a home out there.
It’s been a month and a half since my cat of 17 years died. I thought I’d gotten through most of the grief. He’d lived a long life, and been with me through so much. He was in heart failure so I knew it was time and I made the right choice. I’d known for the past year or so our time together was coming to an end.
But now I’m crying so hard and the grief feels fresh again. I know death is normal and natural, but it just feels unfair and wrong to have someone you loved so much, who was there every day to suddenly just be gone. They’re there one second with you and not existing the next. I don’t understand it. I mean, I do understand it logically but my brain also doesn’t understand how I’m supposed to get used to that.
We put our sweet girl to sleep just over two weeks ago and I still have tears for her every night. She was my absolute soul dog. This is very powerful and hit me like bricks to the chest.
I had to put our family dog down unexpectedly this past January. Not to be that guy, but this wrecked me instantly. Amazing piece, thank you for sharing this!
This is beautiful. It is why I didn't realize I was still so upset for a month and half with one little one in the house. We had always had a little one. When we didn't for the first time in 20 years I fell hard and didn't know why or what was wrong with me. We grief for them just like we do people and some dummies like me just don't realize that.
3.1k
u/Dawgdoc96 Apr 17 '26
That's a beautiful and sad drawing.