Fortunate are the people who have loved a pet. Yet with that love for a faithful companion, comes the ultimate karmic requirement to say good-by when the time comes for the creature’s life to end. How do you begin to say good-by? How can you rise to a higher level and help that precious animal to say good-by to you?
Karma never wastes a moment in the task of assisting all of us to evolve as souls and the death of a beloved pet is a powerful opportunity to grow as a spiritual being. Saying good-by to that cat or dog, horse or bird is part of our spiritual path. However, how we choose to approach the fair well process can make a significant difference in our spiritual growth and emotional healing after a pet dies.
Sometimes we hold on to the creature for dear life. I did that with my beloved Siamese cat, Charlie. Then one day he simply vanished. I never got to say good-by and there wasn’t even a body to bury. Since that sad day in 1998, I have learned a great deal about how to let go and help a pet to move to the heaven world. Perhaps some of the steps below will be of service to anyone who must face this difficult, tear-filled day.
• When the animal lets you know, that he or she is ready to go, listen and acknowledge that together you can assist your pet in the dying process because you have the internal courage to do so.
• Let the vet know when you will be coming in to put the animal to sleep.
• If you can, ask a close friend or family member to go with you. Sometimes you are so filled with grief that you probably shouldn’t be driving.
• Tell your pet what day this event will be happening. We fully expect our creatures to understand us on many levels and communicating this, will let your pet know that you have come to terms with letting he or she move on to the heaven world.
• On the day of transition for your pet, wrap the animal gently in a piece of your clothing which has a comforting, familiar smell.
• As you hold your pet, walk around your home and together help the animal to say good-by to the bedroom, cat or dog bed, the kitchen where he or she ate and even the cat box. Have him say good-by to other pets in the house. Let her touch noses as a way of saying good-by. This alone allows the remaining creatures to have closure when one pet leaves. Anecdotal stories of surviving pets, indicate that this simple process precludes a great deal of grief or searching for the animal who has passed away.
•Ask that angels fill your car to help you and your pet through this process.
• When you arrive at the vet, tell your pet that the vet is going to install an IV so that when you are both ready, the vet can return to put the animal to sleep.
• Go ahead and cry with your pet. Tell this beloved creature how much you have loved him or her, how much he or she will be missed.
• Thank this creature for its service to you, for loving you unconditionally and for always being there for you for all of the years of your relationship.
• Say a prayer over your pet and request that angels of transition come and guide your precious creature to the heaven world.
• As the vet performs the final act, you will feel the life force gently slip away from the animal’s body. Most animals are delighted to be out of that pain-wracked body. They do not want you to cry yet they know you are grieving. This is all part of a normal process.
• This final act may engender the most tears as the pain of the finality really comes home to you: you are going to leave the vet’s office without your beloved pet.
• Bury your pet or consider cremation. Then spread the ashes at sea, in your yard or in a forest.
Going through this process provides you with an opportunity to feel that you had courage, you were really there for your pet and you truly said good-by. You will grieve, but it may not be quite as painful. You will remember that you provided your pet with the utmost dignity, comfort and care until the very last breath.
Remember that you will continue to grieve in waves, as the days go by because grief comes to us in echoes of emotion. Be patient with yourself. Share the sad news with friends and family and allow them to comfort you.
. . . . And as you go to sleep at night, say a prayer of gratitude for the sheer pleasure of having had that wonderful creature in your life.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
KS&L 338 A Chance Encounter or a Humble Miracle?
In ancient times, people believed in miracles. Today, people believe in science. The irony is that people who do believe in science, frequently believe more in chance than the astounding possibility that a miracle can happen with the intention of the Divine. They reject the concept of synchronicity: everything happens for a reason and in perfect harmony with the Divine. So as you read the story below, decide for yourself: was this a miracle or just a scientific chance encounter?
Recently my daughter and I took a Southwest Airlines flight from San Diego, California to Norfolk Virginia. When we changed planes in Nashville, Tennessee, we had an hour, so we went shopping, which made us a bit late for the ‘A’ boarding section on our flight. This put us farther back in the plane than I prefer, but I figured it must be for some reason. I love sitting by the window, but this time, my daughter asked if she could sit there, which put me in the middle seat.
As we settled ourselves with our belongings, a woman about my age sat down next to me. She seemed a bit agitated, looking nervously around and fidgeting. I said hello. She responded in kind. Then she leaned closer to me and told me that this was only the second time in her whole life that she had ever been on an airplane! She shyly explained that she was quite apprehensive. So, I took her hand and told her that I was going to hold her hand at least as we took off. I explained that I have flown all over the world and that I would be happy to be her ‘security companion’ for this short flight to Norfolk.
As the sturdy, blue and red jet barreled toward the lift off point, I began to distract her by asking her where she was from and why was she flying that night. She said her name was Donna and she was from a small town about forty miles outside of Nashville. Her brother had finally coaxed her away from her tiny, tiny town to visit him in the larger city of Norfolk, Virginia.
When she briefly released my hand, I returned to editing my second book on my laptop computer. While we continued chatting, my daughter was reading my first book. Jeanne Marie was also watching an amazing lightening storm off in the distance, out the window. The lightening dramatically lit up the night sky. I was able to encourage Donna to share in the wonder of watching this glorious storm and not be afraid. I noticed that she was beginning to enjoy the flight.
As we continued talking I learned about how hard her life had been, what disappointments she had suffered and what things brought her great joy. She had lived all of her life in a small town, knew everyone, and all the history. She had always worked in the same place and had raised her children to be good people. She was also worried about her son stationed in Afghanistan. As she shared the special experiential treasures of her many years with me, I began to feel as if I was peeking through the windows of her life. She had been so afraid of taking this leap of faith: of leaving the safety of what she knew and venturing out to experience something different. Yet she was willing to conquer that fear to be with her brother. Then she related how much she missed her Mom who had died many years prior.
I had now figured out how to edit with one hand and continue to hold her hand with my other hand. Clasping her hand seemed to bring her some inner sense of security.
Finally, she asked me if I was writing a book and I explained that it was my second book and that my daughter was reading my first book – and I showed it to her. She gasped!
She seemed astounded to be setting next to an author and of course we began to discuss the elements of The Lightworker’s Guide to Healing Grief. She then shared the grief she was still feeling over the death of her Mother. I explained that frequently, we can send prayers to the beloved ones who have left our mortal lives and ask them to help us with earthly challenges.
This statement virtually unnerved her because at this point she began to cry. She explained that she had prayed to her Mom to help her with this flight. She did not know how she expected her Mom to help her, but she had been making that humble, yet fervent prayer for several days. And then tears began to roll down her face as she suddenly realized that I was the answer to her prayer request to her Mother. I held her hand throughout the rest of the flight. I realized that I was there to distract her from her fear and remind her of her courage and strength as a person. She seemed awed as she realized that her Mother had heard her and truly answered her prayer. I explained that this was why my daughter and I were slightly late in boarding. This was why she [Donna] sat with me, and why she felt so comfortable. She answered that this must be true, because she never shares such intimate details of her life with anyone, much less a stranger.
We decided that the entire encounter was not as much about meeting me, because in this case, I was merely a tool of karma, the designated ‘lightworker’ assigned to help with this person’s prayer. The encounter was really about helping another soul to realize that there is life and love after death. Donna learned that the prayers of the living can be answered by souls on the other side, if we can just believe and trust in our faith in the Divine.
This miraculous experience proved to her that love never dies and that God can use those of us who chose to be that type of spiritual tool - those lightworkers among us – to provide service to any soul in need at any moment.
As our speedy jet lightly touched down in Norfolk, and our ninety-minute flight came to an end, I noticed that Donna was holding my hand, now not out of fear buy out of wonder and gratitude. She told me how wonderful her Mom had been to her, and how much she missed her. She also told me how much this seemingly chance encounter had meant to her.
When we finally parted ways at baggage claim, we hugged for a long time. Two strangers, strangers no more, united by membership in that elite group of souls connected by the miraculous intervention of the Divine. . . . and Southwest Airlines!
Recently my daughter and I took a Southwest Airlines flight from San Diego, California to Norfolk Virginia. When we changed planes in Nashville, Tennessee, we had an hour, so we went shopping, which made us a bit late for the ‘A’ boarding section on our flight. This put us farther back in the plane than I prefer, but I figured it must be for some reason. I love sitting by the window, but this time, my daughter asked if she could sit there, which put me in the middle seat.
As we settled ourselves with our belongings, a woman about my age sat down next to me. She seemed a bit agitated, looking nervously around and fidgeting. I said hello. She responded in kind. Then she leaned closer to me and told me that this was only the second time in her whole life that she had ever been on an airplane! She shyly explained that she was quite apprehensive. So, I took her hand and told her that I was going to hold her hand at least as we took off. I explained that I have flown all over the world and that I would be happy to be her ‘security companion’ for this short flight to Norfolk.
As the sturdy, blue and red jet barreled toward the lift off point, I began to distract her by asking her where she was from and why was she flying that night. She said her name was Donna and she was from a small town about forty miles outside of Nashville. Her brother had finally coaxed her away from her tiny, tiny town to visit him in the larger city of Norfolk, Virginia.
When she briefly released my hand, I returned to editing my second book on my laptop computer. While we continued chatting, my daughter was reading my first book. Jeanne Marie was also watching an amazing lightening storm off in the distance, out the window. The lightening dramatically lit up the night sky. I was able to encourage Donna to share in the wonder of watching this glorious storm and not be afraid. I noticed that she was beginning to enjoy the flight.
As we continued talking I learned about how hard her life had been, what disappointments she had suffered and what things brought her great joy. She had lived all of her life in a small town, knew everyone, and all the history. She had always worked in the same place and had raised her children to be good people. She was also worried about her son stationed in Afghanistan. As she shared the special experiential treasures of her many years with me, I began to feel as if I was peeking through the windows of her life. She had been so afraid of taking this leap of faith: of leaving the safety of what she knew and venturing out to experience something different. Yet she was willing to conquer that fear to be with her brother. Then she related how much she missed her Mom who had died many years prior.
I had now figured out how to edit with one hand and continue to hold her hand with my other hand. Clasping her hand seemed to bring her some inner sense of security.
Finally, she asked me if I was writing a book and I explained that it was my second book and that my daughter was reading my first book – and I showed it to her. She gasped!
She seemed astounded to be setting next to an author and of course we began to discuss the elements of The Lightworker’s Guide to Healing Grief. She then shared the grief she was still feeling over the death of her Mother. I explained that frequently, we can send prayers to the beloved ones who have left our mortal lives and ask them to help us with earthly challenges.
This statement virtually unnerved her because at this point she began to cry. She explained that she had prayed to her Mom to help her with this flight. She did not know how she expected her Mom to help her, but she had been making that humble, yet fervent prayer for several days. And then tears began to roll down her face as she suddenly realized that I was the answer to her prayer request to her Mother. I held her hand throughout the rest of the flight. I realized that I was there to distract her from her fear and remind her of her courage and strength as a person. She seemed awed as she realized that her Mother had heard her and truly answered her prayer. I explained that this was why my daughter and I were slightly late in boarding. This was why she [Donna] sat with me, and why she felt so comfortable. She answered that this must be true, because she never shares such intimate details of her life with anyone, much less a stranger.
We decided that the entire encounter was not as much about meeting me, because in this case, I was merely a tool of karma, the designated ‘lightworker’ assigned to help with this person’s prayer. The encounter was really about helping another soul to realize that there is life and love after death. Donna learned that the prayers of the living can be answered by souls on the other side, if we can just believe and trust in our faith in the Divine.
This miraculous experience proved to her that love never dies and that God can use those of us who chose to be that type of spiritual tool - those lightworkers among us – to provide service to any soul in need at any moment.
As our speedy jet lightly touched down in Norfolk, and our ninety-minute flight came to an end, I noticed that Donna was holding my hand, now not out of fear buy out of wonder and gratitude. She told me how wonderful her Mom had been to her, and how much she missed her. She also told me how much this seemingly chance encounter had meant to her.
When we finally parted ways at baggage claim, we hugged for a long time. Two strangers, strangers no more, united by membership in that elite group of souls connected by the miraculous intervention of the Divine. . . . and Southwest Airlines!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
KS&L 337 The Snake Box
“I am in a room with an enormous, open box of snakes. Someone I know is helping me with these reptiles. Upon closer inspection these are huge Timber Rattlesnakes, each one almost six feet long with very big rattles at the ends of their tails.
My job, with the help of my friend, is to carefully take each snake out of the box. Then with my bare hands, gently put each snake into its own box and send it on its way. I have no idea where the snakes are being sent. I just know that I have to prepare them for their departure: I have to handle each one.
I am conscious that fear is not my friend, that using the power of peaceful reassurance and an aura of kindness and care will keep each snake calm while I handle it. As I pick one up rattlesnake after the other, I can feel the tremendous muscles in their tightly coiling bodies and the texture of their skin. The rattlers don’t know what is happening to them.
I become aware that not a single one of them is ‘rattling’ their tail. They seem curious but calm. Patiently, consistently, I stay the course of my task. Gently, kindly, I pick each one up, deliberately place it in the box and hand it off to an unseen person for shipment.
Finally, I have finished the task and then I feel that subtle tingle of fear go down my spine. Somehow one snake has been missed and is crawling up my body inside my clothes to be closer to me. The snake is not threatening, again, merely curious and possibly a bit cold. Again, I gently, deliberately pick up this snake and box it for transport to the correct location.
. . . . and then I wake up.
This dream not only begs the question of its meaning, it also offers us an opportunity to consider how our subconscious, super-conscious, and the Divine, communicate with us about what is to come and how we can respond to future events. If we look closely, we can also see how the dreamer’s karmic path becomes visible as well.
All dreams have potentially several interpretations. However, there are some dreams that seem to offer the dream traveler with some pretty straightforward opportunities for insight. If we are patient, deliberate and open, we may be able to deduce quite readily the larger meaning of many dreams. So let’s return to the example of the snake box dream.
The dreamer in this scenario is a spiritual worker in her waking [and probably sleep] state. She works very hard. Sometimes it feels that some difficult things are overwhelming and yet, as a person of faith, she believes that she is divinely guided and she is disciplined enough to listen for that guidance. She is surprised by the crisp clarity of this dream and the critically important fact that even weeks later, she can remember this dream in exquisite detail. Perhaps that element was deliberate. She was supposed to remember that dream for the critical lesson it offered if she was savvy enough to embrace it.
What does that dream mean for her? Perhaps, each snakes represents a difficult, potentially dangerous problem that is now facing her or will face her in the coming days and months. The message that comes through loud and clear in that dream is this: if she uses her power, and is courageous, patient, unemotional and deliberate in handling each problem/snake, she will be fine. She is made to understand that she is not alone in her tasks. There are those seen and unseen people/beings who are dependably there to help her. Truly, she is not alone with even the most dangerous or scary snake/problem, yet the karma is unmistakable: each snake is her karmic responsibility to handle.
In the days and weeks that came after this dream, that is what happened. She handled each problem with the lessons she found in the snake box and she was just fine. She stayed the course, successfully navigating through even the most challenging situation.
She noticed how frequently as she faced a difficulty, she recalled the dream. She was reminded to consider that this difficulty like the previous one before it and probably the next one coming was going to be handled well if she just remembered the lessons of the seemingly terrifying box of Timber Rattlers. She also accepted that these issues were her karma responsibility to work out and if done with the power of grace and courage, would have a positive and potentially elegant outcome.
God, our Guardian Angel, and our Higher Self work in truly mysterious and often, metaphoric ways. Ultimately what might have appeared to be a paralyzing nightmare became a precious dream of great insight and comfort. And for that aspect, she was and will always be truly grateful.
My job, with the help of my friend, is to carefully take each snake out of the box. Then with my bare hands, gently put each snake into its own box and send it on its way. I have no idea where the snakes are being sent. I just know that I have to prepare them for their departure: I have to handle each one.
I am conscious that fear is not my friend, that using the power of peaceful reassurance and an aura of kindness and care will keep each snake calm while I handle it. As I pick one up rattlesnake after the other, I can feel the tremendous muscles in their tightly coiling bodies and the texture of their skin. The rattlers don’t know what is happening to them.
I become aware that not a single one of them is ‘rattling’ their tail. They seem curious but calm. Patiently, consistently, I stay the course of my task. Gently, kindly, I pick each one up, deliberately place it in the box and hand it off to an unseen person for shipment.
Finally, I have finished the task and then I feel that subtle tingle of fear go down my spine. Somehow one snake has been missed and is crawling up my body inside my clothes to be closer to me. The snake is not threatening, again, merely curious and possibly a bit cold. Again, I gently, deliberately pick up this snake and box it for transport to the correct location.
. . . . and then I wake up.
This dream not only begs the question of its meaning, it also offers us an opportunity to consider how our subconscious, super-conscious, and the Divine, communicate with us about what is to come and how we can respond to future events. If we look closely, we can also see how the dreamer’s karmic path becomes visible as well.
All dreams have potentially several interpretations. However, there are some dreams that seem to offer the dream traveler with some pretty straightforward opportunities for insight. If we are patient, deliberate and open, we may be able to deduce quite readily the larger meaning of many dreams. So let’s return to the example of the snake box dream.
The dreamer in this scenario is a spiritual worker in her waking [and probably sleep] state. She works very hard. Sometimes it feels that some difficult things are overwhelming and yet, as a person of faith, she believes that she is divinely guided and she is disciplined enough to listen for that guidance. She is surprised by the crisp clarity of this dream and the critically important fact that even weeks later, she can remember this dream in exquisite detail. Perhaps that element was deliberate. She was supposed to remember that dream for the critical lesson it offered if she was savvy enough to embrace it.
What does that dream mean for her? Perhaps, each snakes represents a difficult, potentially dangerous problem that is now facing her or will face her in the coming days and months. The message that comes through loud and clear in that dream is this: if she uses her power, and is courageous, patient, unemotional and deliberate in handling each problem/snake, she will be fine. She is made to understand that she is not alone in her tasks. There are those seen and unseen people/beings who are dependably there to help her. Truly, she is not alone with even the most dangerous or scary snake/problem, yet the karma is unmistakable: each snake is her karmic responsibility to handle.
In the days and weeks that came after this dream, that is what happened. She handled each problem with the lessons she found in the snake box and she was just fine. She stayed the course, successfully navigating through even the most challenging situation.
She noticed how frequently as she faced a difficulty, she recalled the dream. She was reminded to consider that this difficulty like the previous one before it and probably the next one coming was going to be handled well if she just remembered the lessons of the seemingly terrifying box of Timber Rattlers. She also accepted that these issues were her karma responsibility to work out and if done with the power of grace and courage, would have a positive and potentially elegant outcome.
God, our Guardian Angel, and our Higher Self work in truly mysterious and often, metaphoric ways. Ultimately what might have appeared to be a paralyzing nightmare became a precious dream of great insight and comfort. And for that aspect, she was and will always be truly grateful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
