Everybody Hurts

As we jumped into the car, our thoughts raced one step ahead, “Must get warmth for Bubba”. Then the song lyrics that played out on the radio hit us, “Everybody hurts …”

Stopping us in our tracks, tears welled in our eyes for their poignancy at that moment. For sitting beyond whatever was the original intent of those song lyrics was the
gravity of Bubba Pig’s grief as he mourned his beloved Mumma.

Just 14 days prior, Mumma Pig left this world. And for eleven love-filled years prior to that, she and Bubba Pig were never apart, with the exception of the momentary pausing of physical connection when Bubba would have his tusks trimmed.

And while we knew he would be hit hardest by her passing, we were now gut-wrenchingly face to snout with the full force of the hurt. In preparing Bubba for his Mumma’s departure, we kept them together until that final moment came and then gave Bubba the time to take in her stillness after she passed.

Initially only somewhat put out, it was in the days that followed that dear Bubba began to reconcile himself to the realisation that his cherished Mumma was not coming back. Moving from wandering the paddock in the hope she could be found to understanding, on his level, that she would not. Bubba’s haunting withdrawal from the world only heightened our concern.

For whilst we can fix broken bones and mend damaged bodies, how does one heal a broken heart?

From then, Bubba’s haunting withdrawal only heightened our concern.

Each time we checked on him, we hoped to see a spark return to his eye or hear a heartwarming ‘nff nff’, that would indicate he was on his way back to the world. We have never encountered a grief as deep as Bubba’s, but as we reflect, we have never encountered a love and devotion as strong as theirs.

There was no medical reason for dear Bubba to leave other than a broken heart. Although we cannot imagine exactly what he was going through, we know from our own experiences with grief the pain and heartache it causes. Never let anyone tell you that animals don’t experience emotions — emotions raw, real and even painful.

We are truly sorry that our love was not enough to heal Bubba Pig, and acknowledge now that only dear Mumma Pig’s could. And whilst our hearts are facing immeasurable ache, we take some solace knowing that Bubba Pig’s does no more.

His body will be laid to eternal rest in the place he loved the most, right by his Mumma’s side.