Humanity in the Death of an Animal
“There is such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown.” – Michael Scott, pet funeral and pet cremation ceremony, The Office
This bird funeral scene in The Office is profound on so many levels. Yes, it’s funny, but it’s also incredibly sad, insightful, and artful. It reveals the shallowness of Ryan Howard, but also the creative empathy of Pam Beesly and the lonely vulnerability of their boss, Michael Scott.
This pet burial scene reminds us of the innocence of childhood, the fragility of life, the inevitability of death… and the power of compassion to coalesce the humanity of people to help the suffering of a single lonely soul. RIP nameless bird. We all knew you at some point in our childhoods. See you in people and pet heaven.
[More pet loss advice, insights, and resources: How to Write a Pet Eulogy, Pet Loss Condolences: What to Say and How to Say It, and Life After Loss: 5 Signs It’s Time for a New Pet.]
Parenting And Pet Loss
Many parents welcome a pet into their families to introduce their children to the important concepts of love, responsibility, affection, loyalty, joy, and… yes… death. Oftentimes, our first experience with the death of something we truly love is that of a pet.
The loss of a pet teaches us the three most important things about life: life ends, which means life is not fair, which means we need to work with our surroundings—people, pets, and nature—to stave off the unfairness of life.
The Indifferent Significance of Balance
People, like animals, crave reasons to sing, play, and chase their tails until the spinning makes us collapse like a kitten on catnip. But for every eloquent songbird and playful cat and wise old hound curled up beside us on the couch there is bird poop, feline hair, and old-dog farts that smell like burning tires. Life is about balance, and animals teach us that the balance that drives the universe – if given enough time – creates opportunities for incredible happiness. And that makes life worth living.
Balance, however, is an algorithm that divides happiness by tragedy. And most of us have no control over how, where, or when that algorithm factors in our individual lives. The unfortunate bird in this clip from The Office was ostensibly not a beneficiary of that algorithm of balance.
Michael Scott, Everyman in the Balance
Michael Scott, whose life has often been difficult and sad, probably related all too well with the calamitous demise of this poor bird – only to find that the balance of true friends and kindness of other human beings swung in his favor when he needed it the most.
If all of us were only so lucky.
Grief, indeed, can simply be a way to simultaneously express our gratitude for happiness and our fear of the misfortune that is inevitably part of the balance of life.
[Visit more bird eulogies, bird funerals, and bird obituaries.]