Grief Is Like A Stack Of Pancakes

Grief can feel overwhelming, confusing, and deeply personal. One way to understand it is to imagine grief as a stack of pancakes.

When you are young, you experience your first moment of grief. That experience becomes the first pancake placed on your plate. It is powerful and unforgettable. You are aware of it, you think about it often, and you may ask questions — of yourself or others — about this new and unfamiliar emotion. Over time, you may tuck it away without fully processing or understanding it.

As you grow older, more experiences of loss occur. The end of a first love, a broken relationship, the loss of a family member, the passing of a beloved pet, or even your own encounter with illness. Each of these moments adds another pancake to the stack. The plate grows heavier. Coping may feel difficult, so you leave the pancakes there, hoping to deal with them another time — or perhaps never at all.

When the Stack Gets Too Heavy

As life continues, the losses often become more personal and more painful. These pancakes feel heavier and larger than the ones before. At this point, you may feel even less able to face them. They hurt too much. Life feels too busy. There never seems to be enough time or emotional space to process everything.

When grief is left unacknowledged, the pancake stack continues to grow. Eventually, it becomes unstable — and when it tumbles, the weight can feel unbearable.

This is often how unresolved grief shows up: unexpectedly, intensely, and all at once.

Processing Grief One Pancake at a Time

When you allow yourself to truly feel each loss — to experience the sadness, the love, the confusion, and even the anger — the stack becomes more manageable. The pancakes don’t disappear. Each loss still matters. Each one remains part of your story.

But when grief is acknowledged, supported, and honored, the stack becomes steadier. It no longer feels insurmountable. It does not collapse — and neither do you.

This is why it is so important to tend to each pancake, beginning with the first. Allowing yourself time to grieve, seeking comfort, and accepting support from loved ones helps prevent grief from becoming overwhelming.

Pet Loss Is Real Grief — And It Deserves Care

The loss of a beloved pet is not “less than” any other loss. For many families in Columbus, Ohio, a pet is a constant source of love, companionship, and comfort. Their absence can leave a profound emptiness.

If you are grieving the loss of a pet, please know that your feelings are valid. This loss deserves time, compassion, and care. Don’t allow it to become another unacknowledged pancake on your stack.

Support for Pet Loss Grief in Columbus, Ohio

Below, we have provided resources to help support you through the loss of your beloved pet. Allow yourself the time to explore them. Give yourself permission to feel every emotion that comes with grief — sadness, love, guilt, relief, and everything in between.

At Kona’s Loving Paws, we walk alongside families throughout Columbus and Central Ohio, not only during in-home pet euthanasia, but also in the days and weeks that follow. You do not have to carry this grief alone.

Healing does not mean forgetting. It means learning how to carry your pancakes — with care, support, and love.