Sorry to learn of your loss of Bean. What a beautiful kitty he was!
In this world, there is no way for us to avoid sickness, age, and having to feel the pain of loss. And when it comes to truly loving another being, it is part of the deal to experience the full gamut of emotion. The love, the frustration, the laughter and the grief. It comes as one package.
I've mentioned
my cat before. Regrettably, I didn't truly appreciate her until after she was gone. I came to realise that she was there for me as an unconditionally loving friend when I was otherwise surrounded by abusive people, as if a literal godsend. (And yes, this is also how I became a 'cat extremist'!)
Of all the being I would like to be reunited with in the afterlife, she is #1. If I could catnap with her again, I'd never need anything more. Speaking of which, if you're very open-minded, there have been numerous
NDE reports involving people being reunited with pets. So I believe the story does have the happiest possible ending down the line. But for now, the grieving process must continue. Know that you are not alone.