Ep150 - Menopause Doesn't Have to Suck with Erika Shannon-Hathaway

How do we navigate the heartache of loss while cherishing the beauty of memories shared with our cherished pets? Join me for an intimate reflection on the enduring impact of my cat, Eliza Doolittle, whose passing after nearly 19 years left a profound mark on my heart. Let’s delve into the love and responsibilities that come with being a pet parenting, finding solace and support within our community during times of grief, and ten life lessons learned from our furry companions. Plus, a chance to share your pet story on an upcoming episode.⁣

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FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS AVAILABLE ⁣

https://www.hilaryrusso.com/podcast⁣

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CHAPTERS: ⁣

00:00 Intro: The Rainbow Bridge ⁣

05:31 The Story of Eliza: The Cat Who Saved Me ⁣

09:44 The Grief and Guilt of Euthanasia ⁣

12:54 Finding Gratitude Through Grief ⁣

17:33 Connection With Pets Beyond the Veil ⁣

20:00 Ten Things I Learned from the Life of a Pet⁣

23:21 The Power of Community and Rest ⁣

26:30 Share Your Pet Story⁣

27:55 Honoring Unconditional Love ⁣

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Share your voice and pet story on an upcoming episode:⁣

https://www.speakpipe.com/hilisticallyspeaking⁣

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Join the HUG it Out Collective on Facebook⁣

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hugitoutcollective⁣

Episodes mentioned on this podcast Ep 17 Chris Palmore Finding Gratitude After Loss Ep 128 Are You a Human Being or a Human Doing? Eliza and Hilary's Blue Buffalo Cat Food Commercials youtube.com/hilaryrusso⁣

Connect with Hilary:⁣

https://www.instagram.com/hilaryrusso⁣

⁣https://www.youtube.com/hilaryrusso⁣

https://www.facebook.com/hilisticallyspeaking⁣

https://twitter.com/HilaryRusso⁣

https://www.tiktok.com/@hilisticallyspeaking⁣

https://www.hilaryrusso.com/podcast⁣

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Music by Lipbone: https://lipbone.com/⁣

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FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS AVAILABLE ⁣

https://www.hilaryrusso.com/podcast⁣ ⁣

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00:00 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣

19 years Seems like a moment in time, but for close to 19 years I was blessed to have a pure shadow of sunshine by my side. On my birthday, however, my sweet Eliza Doolittle decided it was time to take a journey without me, and a light in me dimmed. April 1st, just two days after my birthday and two months shy of 19 years, my five pound sassy calico found her way over the rainbow bridge and something changed in me, which is why I'm sharing this with you, because I have a feeling, if you've ever loved and lost a pet, you're going to resonate with what I'm about to share with you. It took me some time to sit down and record this episode. I have to be honest, I needed some time to step away. To be honest, I needed some time to step away. I needed to process this loss and I really needed to allow myself to see where this was going to hit me, because, while I have had pets my entire life since I was a little girl in fact, I don't really know that many years without having a pet in my home, nothing was quite like Eliza. She was mine and I was hers, and for close to two decades, I made this commitment to protect her, to love her, to care for her, and that came with some responsibilities Responsibilities I have never known before. Responsibilities, responsibilities I have never known before. It was level up, it was different, and the feelings that go along with that kind of responsibility, that kind of love, were different too. So, after sharing with those who are closest with me about her passing my family, my friends, my Hug it Out Collective, even colleagues and clients I realized that community is where we really find our healing, and it's a reminder that we were never alone in this battle. Right, even if the responsibilities are different, even if there are hours and hours alone, even if they were just for us to bear, we're really never doing it all by ourselves, because someone you know or ...