This past weekend, I attended a retreat on Love and Death. We opened with a beautiful quote from Rainer Maria Rilke: “Love and death are the great gifts that are given to us; mostly they are passed on unopened.” I thought about my beloved animal companions who have passed on. As the tears rolled down my face, I felt incredibly raw and open.
Animals love us unconditionally. This love has no limits. Since there is often fear, confusion, and sadness surrounding our pets’ passing, I recently asked the Animal Kingdom about death and dying. Below is the message that the animals shared with me.
My beloved cat, Frankie, passed over several months ago. While I felt sad at the time and continued to grieve his loss, I was comforted that he passed peacefully at home surrounded by the beings that he loved most. I was not ready to place his photo on my dresser beside the pictures of pets who previously passed on, yet it felt like his death as his life, unfolded just as it was meant to. He had a long full life and had recovered from numerous illnesses along the way. One time in particular, he literally died and came back to life in my arms.
