A Spiritual Awakening

I was brought up to believe in God, but somehow, the God that I was taught about never lived up to his image or the image that the church gave him in my eyes. I have been through many ups and downs in my lifetime, and it was almost always one of my pets that helped me through it. They were unconditional and never expected anything other than the same unconditional love they gave to me back in return. I rescued Buddy from what might have been a horrible life for him and promised him that he would never be given less than my all. This tiny little being was counting on me to help him grow and find joy in his life; I did my best but little did I know it was he that would change my life in a way that was so unbelievable and life-altering. This story is not about his life but about the end of his life and how it changed mine forever.

The day started normally and we went for our morning walk, it was our time together and he was the best company anyone could ask for. He loved the trees and nature as much as I did. I always allowed him to venture on his own and just watch him from a safe distance it made me smile to see him scamper in the fields and grasses and he seemed to understand that he should respect other wildlife so he never took to running after anything he would just curiously watch and listen to all that surrounded us on our daily walk.

Fall seemed to be both of our favorite times of the year. He would scamper in the orange and yellow leaves that had already fallen to the ground making a blanket of color pleasing to all eyes that happened upon it and I would gaze at the trees wearing all of their glorious fall colors with a sky blue backdrop.

This fall day began as usual. After my morning routine, I would call him and he would find his way out to me, and off we would go. I would often carry a backpack with treats for both of us because on occasion our hour long walks would end up going long into the later afternoon. The day looked as if it was going to be a beautiful one the sun was shining and the glimmer of the dew on the grasses just glistened. Today I decided we would go to the gorge one of our favorite spots I don't know why but I felt as if it was calling to me to come there on this imparticular day and I was one to always follow that inner voice and today would end up being a day that I would be so glad that I did.

It was a short car ride to the spot where we would begin our walk. Today it was quiet when we arrived which always was nice. To have this place to ourselves was always the best! The sun was peeking through the tree tops and warming the water in the stream that led to our favorite spot. We started off and as usual, had to make many stops along the way for him to investigate something. Today it was a mother duck with her babies never getting too close he just sat and listened to my voice tell him to be gentle and that he was. A gentle beautiful soul one that I wish could have touched more lives than mine alone. As we made our way down the stream sometimes walking in the center cooling our feet other times the sides taking time to stop and sit on fallen trees to take a break and take in the beauty that surrounded us we made a few new friends and ran into a few acquaintances that we had made on previous walks. On this day we met an elderly fellow walking on his own. He seemed rather tired and happy to see us. We did not see anyone with him so we stopped for a bit and shared a snack with him which he gladly accepted and gave him some of that unconditional love that we shared between each other and said our goodbyes. He must have had a family somewhere that we had passed by that he was following. About half an hour later we arrived at the end of the stream that opened up into a large glistening pool with waterfalls abound the day was going to be wonderful one!

I unpacked a blanket and sat back on a huge flat piece of shale in the warm sun and buddy ran and jumped into the water chasing bubbles from the cascading falls when they hit the water in the pool . I never had to worry because he was a good swimmer and the water being a mere five feet deep at the deepest point so even not being a good swimmer myself I was comfortable to go out and guide him back when i felt it necessary. We took in the warmth of the sun and the cool mist of the falls and just enjoyed our day.

It was about four hours into our day when I looked to my right and saw a frail figure walking towards us, it was our elderly friend he seemed to have decided to come to spend some time with us. He laid next to me on the cool shale rock and just watched the goings on in the water and closed his eyes and napped in the afternoon sun. Buddy would come and give him a nudge as if to say come and play but he just wanted to lay and watch. I would talk to him and notice that he did seem to hear me that well because I would have to raise my voice an octave or two before his ears would perk up and his eyes would open as he cocked his head to one side to listen.

As the heat of the afternoon began to subside it signified that it was time for buddy and me to head back down the river to the car and get home before dusk. No one had come to get this old fellow so we decided that we would pack up our stuff and see if he would follow us down the stream and back to the car hoping that his family would take notice of him along the way.

The walk was a bit slower this time around because the old fellow had to stop to rest now and again. We passed a few families and no one took notice of the old guy so he ended up following us all the way back to our car . I opened the door and put a towel down for buddy as always and he jumped in and this time he had a pal because that old fellow found it in himself to jump right in next to him and laid right down with a look in his eyes as if to say Ok I am ready to go home!

It was getting close to dusk and it was a rather remote area where there was a lot of wildlife . Coyotes often came down from the hillsides in the wood at dusk here to drink in the stream so I decided that this fellow should come home with us and we would figure out where he lived the following day.

When we arrived home we all got out of the car and went into the house as if we were one happy family. Buddy laid on his bed as he always did and his pal cuddled right up next to him and they both closed thier eyes an napped for what seemed to be hours. By that time I had put ads up and made phone calls to see if anyone had lost an elderly cattle dog , almost blind and very hard of hearing who had arthritis near the area where we had walked that day hoping to hear something by morning from his family who must surely be worried about him.

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to a months with no responses and no calls . By this time "George" that is what we named him had become a part of our family. He would go with us on our daily walk and he would play with buddy in the water while I would sit and write or listen to music that I played for all of us to enjoy and relax by. I knew that music was calming to the soul of both man and beast and it surely proved to be for the three of us many a day.

George became a part of our family soon after that first day he found us and he had been to our vet to see if we could be sure he was comfortable in his old age. We used a holistic vet who was about as wonderful as one could be and she told us George was not only close to blind and deaf as one could be at his age but that he was really close to the end of his journey. He was healthy but tired I guess one could say so we decided to just give him some of that unconditional love that we had always shared between us and make his life the best that it could be.

It had been about six months since George had become a part of our family and we had altered our walks and really not been to the river as often because George had a difficult time most days walking but today he seemed fine so we decided to spend the entire day at the river where we had met George. We packed a picnic lunch and this day my husband went along. George walked slowly but seemed to be enjoying the walk and once we got to the pool he played and waded into the shallow edges to play ball with buddy. The day turned to dusk and we all headed back to the car. George stopped a couple of times along the way but patience was all we ever had with him so we waited until he gave us the signal that he was ready to roll and off we went. That night was quiet nothing out of the ordinary. George and buddy ate their dinner along with us and then we all relaxed and enjoyed the summer night.

When morning arrived Buddy awoke and ran to greet us but George did not. I thought well it was a long day for him so let him rest but Buddy kept telling me in his own way to go check on George so after about ten minutes or so of his persistence I did and found that George had passed away in his sleep. I was devastated and sat next to him and asked that so called God that I had been taught about my entire life that I rarely turned to for anything why he did not let me say goodbye to George. Why did he take him without letting me give him that last hug and tell him that he was so loved. How could he be gone without me ever being able to look into his eyes again.

Days passed and we had put George to rest but my heart still was lost. I often would often sit on that huge shale rock at the river and talk to George even though he was not there and tell him how sorry I was that his family never came for him and how I hoped that we had given him enough love to help him to heal. I awoke almost every night having nightmares wondering if he passed totally peacefully since I had not been awake when he did. I wanted to know if Buddy had been right by his side or not in the middle of the night. I had so many thoughts running through my mind so many unknowns that would never be answered. Was there really a place where he would be waiting for me one day.

It had been several weeks and I was so tired from waking up and wondering but I knew that I had to believe, I had to trust that he was in a place where he knew no pain and knew true peace but how could I do that? I did not know but what I did know was that I had to continue on and have faith. Today Buddy and I would go to the stream and take our walk and sit on the shale in the sun but today would be a life changing experience for me .

It was about midday the sun was shining but not at high noon and it was a beautiful day at the stream the pool was filled with life several dogs swimming and playing and it kind of took my mind off of the sadness that still loomed in my heart. My phone rang and normally I did not answer but it was a friend that had been to the river with us and I thought I would let her know that she was missing out on a beautiful afternoon. I answered and she said to me where are you and I said at the river how about yourself. She proceeded to tell me that she was at a place called Lilydale with her friends from work and that they had gone there to have lunch and just see what it was all about on a whim thinking it would be a nice day trip for this summer day in July. I had heard about Lilydale and told her about it several times but we never seemed to be able to connect up during the months that they opened their little sanctuary to the public. They were closed to the public for the most part and only opened their gates for a couple of months a year. So this day she had taken the time to go out so why today? Lilydale was a small spiritual community in New York. It was founded in the 1800s and is the home of Mediums and spiritualists who are profound in communicating with those who have passed. Now for those of us who believe that there is another plain like myself, this is a very interesting place to visit. You have to make appointments to see any one of the mediums but otherwise, you are free to walk through the community and enjoy the Leolyn woods and take in the aura of this beautiful old forest. There is a wonderful path laden with tiny homes for nature's creatures some of this world and others of another.

Well while there is a daily public message they call it at a stump where mediums give a message to someone there from a loved one. You don't register anyone who had entered Lilydale for that day is welcome to come to the public message. My friend was walking by and a woman called to her and said excuse me but I have a message for you. She was not sure what she meant because she did not actually stop for the public message but had happened upon it. The woman said to her "George wants you to tell your friend thank you and let her know he is at peace." She said it took her by surprise because at first she could not figure out who George was because she had only met him a couple of times.

So that day changed my life. I now know that there is a place where our loved ones go even our pets. I was taught as a child by my church, the church my parents took me to that animals don't have a place in heaven, but they do and I know that through my friend's message that day and through my work as a spiritual healer.

After that day I began to practice meditation, and other spiritual means to find inner peace and have since reconnected with my spiritual soul. I knew as a child that there was another plain but I also knew that the church I was attending was not the means to that plain but for me a barrier. . It has now been over 20 years and I have become an inner light worker and spiritual healer. I work with animals and people to help them find peace in their souls and to help others find the peace that I did when I lost my beloved dog, George. The same peace that I have attained in my life today. I do this through my fictional writing about experiences that I have had and through other venues online and in person as well.

So ending my message to you is "believe" in yourself and when your inner voice speaks to you know that you can listen and decide if you should follow that voice and if it is in your best interest.