Employee Surprised By Her New CEO’s Reaction After She Began Sobbing Over Her Late Dog During A Meeting
"It's astounding the impact that these fur babies have on us."
fizkes | Shutterstock A woman broke down in tears during a meet and greet with her new CEO after being asked if she had a beloved pet. While the woman did have a dog, he unfortunately passed away nine months prior.
The woman was horrified by the first impression she gave her CEO; however, the CEO’s reaction was something that all employees deserve in a boss.
The woman’s new CEO comforted her after she broke down in a meeting over the loss of her dog.
Sharing her story to the subreddit r/Petloss, the woman revealed that she was in a meeting with 15 other colleagues so their new CEO could introduce herself. Her boss started by asking some casual questions, one being if they had any pets.
Nine months after losing her dog, the mention of pets was still a trigger for the woman.
fizkes | Shutterstock
“The second someone asks, the dam walls break and I'm right back there with that searing pain felt on day one," she admitted. "Throat clenching pain.”
The woman could not stop the tears from flowing after the CEO’s question reignited her grief. Later, however, she was overwhelmed with embarrassment and called one of her colleagues who was also in the meeting.
“She said it made a good impression as I was being 'real,’” the woman wrote, although she admitted she was struggling to agree.
Despite her concerns, her new CEO was understanding, and the pair shared a touching moment after the meeting.
“I thought I made a real clown of myself but as I was leaving the meeting she gave me a gentle squeeze on the arm,” the woman recalled. “[It] made me feel as though she knew the pain.”
When she got home, the woman kissed the urn that contained her dog’s ashes and "had a little laugh at how [her] new CEO knows of [her dog] only because his mum's heart is still leaking tears at the drop of a hat because of the immense sadness."
"It's astounding the impact that these fur babies have on us," she concluded.
Grief surrounding pet loss is normal, as is shedding a few tears.
Many commenters sympathized with the Reddit poster, both with her immense grief about her dog and the experience of crying in front of others over it.
“Here is the list of random people I cried in front of after I said goodbye to my soul cat," one Redditor wrote. "The pharmacist. My eye doctor. My hair stylist. My endocrinologist. Head Account at work — I had only been there two weeks, you have never seen anyone look more uncomfortable."
“I cried at gym class because a song came on. Cried on the plane because someone had a dog. Broke down uncontrollably in the airport because there was a dog. Cried at the Christmas parade because there were dogs. It happens,” another user assured the woman.
Others noted that as painful as it is to lose a pet, the woman was lucky to have such a compassionate boss.
“If she asked about pets it’s probably because she has and loves them," one commenter pointed out. "Don’t worry. That’s the important thing."
Pet loss is one of the more intense grievances that people experience, and coping is not an easy process.
"This loss feels, for some people, worse than human loss," Pet Grief Counselor Beth Bigler told USA Today. "Of course, people feel guilty about saying that. But the proximity that our animals have, the intimacy that they share in our lives, and the connection, the deep feelings that exist between guardians and their animals make this type of loss especially hard."
Soloviova Liudmyla | Shutterstock
Still, amid the grief of losing our fur babies, who were such a significant presence in our lives, most of us are forced to carry on business as usual and go to work and school while coping with the loss. There is no bereavement leave offered to grieving pet owners at most companies.
Just like with the death of humans, grief has no timeline — sometimes it reappears at the most inopportune times, like in a meeting with the new CEO.
Bosses and colleagues should practice empathy and cut grieving pet owners some slack. As this boss demonstrated, basic support and compassion can go a long way.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.