Anyone who knows me personally knows that I lost the dog love of my life a year ago November 3*. I refer to her also as my dog soul mate. I know she’s been with me in many lifetimes, and she’ll be with me again. However, her physical departure from this world left a huge void in my life. For eleven winters, nearly every Sunday (and some Saturdays) was spent cuddled up with her on the couch eating popcorn, watching movies, or just napping. I was desperately missing her the first time I asked for a sign that she was still with me. It was about a year ago at this time that I remember crying myself to sleep on the couch – I could no longer sleep in my bed where she’d been – and asking for that sign. I woke the next morning to find that my clock in the dining room had stopped in the night at the exact time she’d passed away, nearly five weeks earlier. I stood there in silence for a moment and thanked her, and the entire Universe, for giving that to me, and of course I cried.
Well here it is winter again, and the longing to have my sweet friend back has increased with each passing day. Yesterday I was dusting in the dining room and contemplated putting the batteries back in my clock and running it again. Yes, it had sat there at that stopped time for the last year. It was a sign from my beloved, how could I simply change it? I toyed with the idea throughout the day and finally decided to go ahead. I slipped the batteries in and looked at my phone to check the time. Without realizing it, I’d chosen the time of her early departure to reinstate the clock, only it was P.M. instead of A.M. The clock had stopped at 3:55 A.M., the time my Ginger passed away. I had managed to restart the clock at 3:55 P.M. Knowing this was yet another sign, tears began to fill my eyes.
“I miss kissing your nose.” I whispered.
And in reply she said, “When the clock chimes every hour, you’ll be reminded that I’m right here with you.”
There are many people missing loved ones this time of year. It’s supposed to be the most joyous time, a season of love and celebration! Yet when your heart feels empty because someone is gone, the season feels heavy instead of love filled.
If you’re missing someone, look for their signs all around you. They are with us, and what they’d love to see more than anything when they pop in for a visit is you loving and enjoying life, and laughing.
Many blessings to you,
Julie
*Originally written December 2015.
Since the passing of Ginger, her biological siblings, sister Lilyanna Alexis and brother Murasaki Montelius has also left the physical world. Her cat brother Stache had passed exactly one week before Lily, and her adopted dog brother Oscar Dale passed two weeks after Lily. They came to visit me one Christmas and you can read that story here.
If you have a beloved pet that you’d also like to be publicly remembered, you can submit their story (or obituary) here along with a photo so they can be added to our Pet Memorial page. Feel free to share that page with others.
I will take this as my sign as I am missing my mom terribly today and saw this first thing when I got on Facebook. Thank you Julie!! Love you to the moon ❤️
I love this! …and you! <3