When Love Hurts Before the Loss Comes: Tapping Through Pet Anxiety & Pre-Grief

Apr 18

This morning, I sat down to record a tapping video with tears already falling down my face.

Our elderly cat, Sweetie, has a vet appointment tomorrow.
She’s old. She’s slowing down. And while there’s a very real chance tomorrow will bring reassuring news… my heart doesn’t know that.

And of course, my brain tried to play the “just wait until tomorrow to worry” card — as if that ever works when you’re in acute distress.

So I stopped trying to override it.
I stopped trying to be fine.
And I tapped.

This was not a polished, perky “here’s your calming content” video.
This was real-time grief, messy tears, and the desperate ache that only comes from loving something so much you can't imagine letting it go.

What I realized — mid-tapping, mid-sobbing — is that what I wanted was to feel confident the vet would tell us everything is fine.

But what I actually need is to trust that no matter what happens, I’ll be able to hold both the heartbreak and the gratitude.

Because the truth is, the end is coming — whether it’s tomorrow or later.
And when it does, I don’t want to miss out on these remaining moments by grieving the loss before it happens.

EFT helped me get there — or at least closer.

I’m still tender. Still not fully at peace.
But I no longer feel like I have to pre-grieve her just to prepare myself.
And I trust that, when it’s time, I’ll be able to walk through the loss with grace — not because it won’t hurt, but because I’ll let myself feel it.

If you’re also loving an animal through their final season…
If you’ve ever cried before the loss even came…
If your heart is full of both fear and fierce love…

You’re not alone.

Here’s the video. Tap along with me if you need to.