Too many adults these days never seem to grow up. At 33, this man is extremely immature.
Well, to your ‘story’,and not necessarily to the substance of the original post:
Another person’s heart is an absolute mystery except to that person and God. We are all full of pains and unresolved issues, and we have lots of quirky, individual ways of coping with them.
If a pilot found condolence and confidence in having his dog’s ashes with him, I’d probably feel a lot safer that way than if he didn’t have them :-)