The timing was just brutal. A few months earlier and I think she wouldn't have formed a strong attachment yet. A few months later and I think we could have talked to her about it.
But then I tell myself that if it had been a few months earlier she would have missed out on loving her dog (and I'm glad our dog finally got to experience some of the fun part of having a kid in the house). And, if it had been a few months later the loss would have been much more painful.
Good that she got to enjoy having a dog. The next one you get will likely be with her for her whole childhood into her teen years and hopefully beyond if it lives a long life.
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That's the hope.
I'm sorry your son had to deal with his grandma's loss at that age. I was a few years younger when my grandpa died and honestly it barely registered. Then I was an adult when my other grandpa died, so I was able to handle it.
We're very fortunate in still having all four grandparents in the picture, but their ages and health are such that we know we might have to start dealing with that type of loss in the not super distant future.
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My heart broke for him. I lost my first grandparent around the same age he was but in my case my grandmother had been sick for awhile so it wasn't unexpected. In the case of my wife's mom it was a total shock. It is actually somewhat fortunate that it occurred while we were in Texas visiting and were able to extend our stay and help my wife's dad out.
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