The Hodja teaches that all things pass; loving a companion animal fully while accepting their mortality deepens both.
Nasreddin Hodja lived with the reality of impermanence—nothing lasts, plans fail, life surprises and disappoints. Yet he loved and engaged fully anyway. With companion animals, this wisdom becomes poignant and necessary. Animals have shorter lifespans than humans, making their impermanence vivid and undeniable. The Hodja's approach would be to love them completely precisely because they won't be here forever. This isn't sadness but clarity. When you stop avoiding the thought of your pet's eventual death, you paradoxically become present to their life. You notice more deeply, appreciate more fully, stay less distracted by trivial frustrations. The practice is holding both truths simultaneously: this being I love will die, and I love them with full presence. This doesn't diminish the joy; it concentrates it. The Hodja would recognize that accepting impermanence is not depression but the most sane and loving way to live. Your companion's mortality teaches you about your own, and that knowledge, when truly faced, makes everything more precious.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
Explore related journeys or tell Peri what you're working through.