Jane -
First I want to echo what Q said - the crazy gorilla lady notwithstanding, the amount of love someone has for their pet is never ridiculous. And grief over the loss of a beloved pet is something that you should ever have to justify.
A few years ago my mother lost her beloved dog Bob. This dog was something else, and we were all heartbroken over his death. My mother said it was going to be a long time before she'd be ready to have another dog again. Cut to two weeks later and she brought a home a puppy she rescued. I know it's not the same, but I think you might be surprised how you feel once the initial pain starts to subside. You may just find that you DO want to open your heart to another bird or different type of pet. Or maybe you won't.
I'm not sure which of the two options you've told us about I'd pick. I can see a case for both. Perhaps you might have him cremated so that you can keep him with you for a time, and then decide later on if you'd like to bury the ashes or scatter them somewhere. That's sort of taking the middleground, I guess.
At any rate, I've been thinking about you and I hope that you are doing the best you can. I know you'll be grieving for a while, but I hope you're able to find a little solace, both on the board and off.
Updated On: 3/4/09 at 10:02 AM