Animals and the Afterlife (27 page)

I finally decided it was time to assist Henry in his transition, so with Jameth behind the wheel and little Henry cradled in my arms and bathed in my tears, we headed off for that final trip to the vet. However, before we ever got there, Henry granted me the one wish I had held onto from the moment I first realized I was losing him: the wish that I wouldn’t have to be responsible for such a decision, and that he would instead die quietly in my arms. And that’s what he did.

We buried Henry in our yard and felt his absence in our home. Thankfully, Ginger now had the companionship of other rats to ease the loss, but we all had a period of intense grieving. I was plagued with guilt as I felt that I had let Henry suffer too much before he died.

S
EVERAL MONTHS LATER
, I had a most profound dream. Actually, I was having an
ordinary
dream when suddenly the dream was interrupted. Almost like a television show being interrupted for an important news release, the dream abruptly stopped, everything went blank, and suddenly, Henry appeared as clear as day. He had a very large presence, and I could see his face—and every detail of him—incredibly clearly. He was approaching me from above and to the left, and as he came close, I noticed how real and beautiful and wonderful he was. I began to sob. I felt a strange combination of intense sorrow at losing him and ecstatic joy at this reunion. It was so real, as if he was really there.

I told him that he was even more beautiful than I had remembered. I told him how much I loved him, how special he was, and how much I missed him. Although he did not speak in words, I felt the same communication of pure love that I had felt that first day, when he had climbed up my arm and looked into my eyes. This encounter felt so
real,
unlike any dream I had ever had. I felt that Henry was
really there,
and I was absolutely overwhelmed.

Beyond him in the distance to the right, I saw someone else—a velvety black-and-white female rat named Allison who had died several months before Henry. However, she didn’t seem to see me. It was more as if Henry was showing her to me so I’d know they were together. I then reached out to him, wanting to hold him close, but I suddenly felt myself slip out of the dream and awaken.

Upon awakening, I felt enveloped by a profound sense of peace, comfort, and love. As I lay there contemplating what had just happened, I heard Jameth uttering in his sleep. His utterances were unclear and sounded highly emotional. Thinking that he must be having a nightmare, I reached over and gently shook him out of his sleep.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “Were you having a nightmare?”

“No,” he replied, “I was having a dream about Henry.” I asked him for more details, not saying a word about my own dream. He went on to describe what had just taken place.

Henry had appeared to him, as clear as day, approaching from above and to the left.
Just like in my dream,
I thought to myself. Jameth described how real it had felt, as if Henry was really there, reaching out to him. In the distance beyond Henry and to the right, he had seen little Allison, just as I had, as if Henry was showing her to him. Again, Henry was the one initiating the unspoken communication of pure love. Jameth had been so overwhelmed by this encounter that he had begun to cry out with all of the same emotion that I had felt.

I then shared with Jameth that I had just had the same “dream,” and we both knew that something profound had just taken place. Not only did we still love and remember that precious soul called Henry, but it was now evident that he still loved and remembered us, too. In this we found great comfort.

I suddenly understood that the details of his death didn’t really matter. Bodies wear out, but spirits live on. Henry showed us this in a way we’ll never forget.

In that moment, we learned that love truly has no boundaries, not in life and not in death. It matters not the size, appearance, condition, or status of the beloved. Love is love. Forever.

Mandy, Pardi, and Rocky

Denise Isings and Donna Hassler, as told by Denise Isings, Hobby Artist Washington

O
UR WHOLE FAMILY OF SIX
has always been a family of dog lovers. We lost our mother after a long illness, during which time Mom and Dad had the family dogs at their house. The dogs were very in tune with Mom and knew when she was going to have a bad day. They would sit at her feet insistently; sure enough, within a few hours she would always have to go to the hospital.

Mandy was a light brownish-reddish Shiba-looking mix dog that was rescued from the pound by my sister, Dorie. Pardi was my other sister Donna’s dog, a parti-colored whippet. When my sisters grew up and left home, Mom and Dad said the dogs had to stay together at their house since they were such good buddies, and they remained there with Dad after Mom passed.

Pardi, the whippet, died first. Years later, Mandy, the other dog, was eighteen years old when my dad had to finally make the decision to put her to sleep. I didn’t know he had made this decision. I had a dream in which I saw my mom and Pardi (the one that died years before) running down a hill of clouds. Mandy was running up the hill of clouds to meet them, and then the dogs were all bouncy and licking Mom, and off they went. That day, my sister called and said Dad had to put Mandy to sleep. I knew then that they were all together again and happy.

In the meantime, my sister Donna had gotten a new dog, Rocky. She and her husband never had children, and Rocky was their child. Rocky was a golden retriever mix, same general size and coat and color as a golden, except with longer ears like a cocker spaniel. He was a very big part of Donna’s life. He went boating and camping with them and was even in their wedding wearing a bow tie—and walked right in front of her down the aisle.

One night, Rocky woke my sister up and started having seizures. He was fifteen years old and had been having seizures for some time due to a brain tumor. He lost control of his bowels and they rushed him to the emergency animal hospital, where they informed her that he was in a coma and they had to put him to sleep. Just before he woke her up, she had been having a dream of Pardi coming to play with Rocky. She hadn’t dreamt of Pardi in years. She was sure Pardi had come to get her friend, Rocky.

Bogart

Kathy Grady, Retired Florida

W
HEN MY DEAR SHIH TZU DOG
, B
OGART
, passed, I grieved so hard until I had what I now know was a visit. I recall it as if it just happened. Bogart’s brother, Shadow, was grieving, too, and I tried so hard to hide my sorrow from him.

I was sitting on the sofa with Shadow. I thought I dozed off. Bogart came and sat at my feet. He said in thoughts to me to take care of Shadow and make him happy. I knew his love for me and felt calmness and knew he wanted me to concentrate on getting Shadow through this hard and sad time; he and Bogart were very close. You didn’t see one without the other. That is how Shadow got his name: from shadowing Bogart.

Clarence

Geri Kepler, Computer Graphics Specialist California

C
LARENCE WAS OUR FAMILY CAT
. Actually, Clarence was our next-door neighbor’s cat until he adopted us.

Clarence had to have abdominal surgery. The day of his surgery, I took my daughter to her guitar lesson between 6:00 and 6:30
P.M
. While I waited for her in my car, I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. In a sort of twilight sleep, I saw Clarence from his chest up, and although his mouth didn’t move, I heard him say, “I want to go on.” I was startled and immediately opened my eyes. For some reason, I looked at the clock in my car. It was 6:10
P.M
.

My daughter and I left after her lesson and arrived home around seven o’clock. The vet called shortly thereafter and told me Clarence had died during surgery. When I asked the vet at what time, he said about six o’clock.

I can’t explain how, but I believe Clarence wanted to let me know that not only did he want to die, but that there was somewhere he wanted to go on
to
. I also believe he wanted me to know he would be all right.

The experience made such an impact, I can still see it in my mind’s eye more than twenty-five years later.

Dina

Loretta Laja Muncie, Homemaker California

I
LOST MY BELOVED CAT
, D
INA
, by a tragic incident. The night after she died, she came to me in my sleep state. I’m certain it was a real experience and not just a dream. I watched her walking away from me. I saw her whole body as she was heading toward the gate of my yard, leaving to go away. She was showing me that she was crossing over.

Then, right after that, she came to me in bed, at around the same hour she usually did, during the night, to have me pet and massage her. I truly believe she was trying to comfort me, and show me her spirit was still here with me. I can’t forget the memory of that experience because it seemed so real to me. I talk to her every day, and I know she hears me.

She still comes to me. She was just here two nights ago in another dream I had. She was alive, even though she was dead. I loved, kissed, brushed, and petted her in this dream, but I know better; it wasn’t a dream at all. She was here visiting me, trying to comfort me during stressful times in my life.