I recently lost my beloved blue-eyed Sheltie. She was almost sixteen years and as much as I wanted to cling to her and keep her longer, she was suffering and needed relief from her pain. The vet experience was very soothing and her transition into the afterlife was peaceful. My blue-eyed baby rested her head on my arm, even at the end trying to provide comfort to me.
We walked every day. Shelties are an intelligent dog with an internal clock that doesn’t compare to any other time mechanism on Earth. Once a routine was established, she expected the routine to be exact…regardless of my schedule, weather, or external factors. She loved snow and bounced around in the cold ice scooping up mouthfuls of the delightful winter treat.
Here she is a few days before she passed.
She provided comfort when I was sad, lonely, or in pain. She loved without any expectations, whole-heartedly loyal and true to her devotion. I loved her and miss her so much my heart aches.
The Pet Crematorium gave us Blue-eyes remains and a poem titled, Rainbow Bridge which claims When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone else, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing, they each miss someone very special to them, who has to be left be kind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face, your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…
I don’t believe the theory. I love the concept, the idea this could occur; however, I believe the soul of a creature, human, remains with us (either constant or appearing when needed) until we move onto another realm.
A few years prior to my Sheltie passing, we had the good fortune to rescue a dog, Riley. She was amazing. Her hard life, abused, undernourished and previously impregnated by a much larger dog. When she came to us, we bathed, groomed and fed her until she relaxed and quickly became part of our family. Blue-eyes, as congruent with her personality, accepted her and shared her treats. Riley would take the “extra” bone and store them in a special location. Oddly enough she was like my spouse, a little OC, and lined her bones in a neat row. This intelligent dog, a mutt, adopted us and we were forever grateful. After her passing we moved her urn to Muncie, Indiana where we’d purchased a home close to my husband’s family. Eventually, he would commute to work until we decided what we wanted to do in the future.
Once when we were at our Fort Wayne house, we received an alarm alert and checked the tiny abode camera. Both of us witnessed the image of Riley standing on a chair looking out a window. All of her unique black and white markings were apparent. We glanced at each other as if to say, is this for real. When we looked back at the screen she had disappeared.
This event gave me a great deal of comfort…and now that my faithful companion has passed on, I WANT to feel her presence. But what if her divine soul has graduated to the next level of divinity? Blue-eyes had a pure soul.
What do you think? Does a beloved pet travel to this magical place to wait or remain with us in spirit, or perhaps elevate to the next level?
jj Keller 