You know I am all for pup reunions at the Bridge. Last week Nora joined Lady and Fitzchen after being apart for several years. The week before Cocoa joined Ruger and Tanner after almost a decade apart. While I love the reunions, I have also kept one paw in the mortal world, and I feel the pain of the dog parents who have sent their beloved paw child to the Bridge to join a sibling.
On Easter, my friend from Blogville, Dory, came to Rainbow Bridge. Dory belonged to a pack of six, including her parents. She was lonely with her family all on the mortal side. She visited her brother Bilbo in his dreams and said, if he was feeling ill, or was struggling daily, and was ready, that she had a spot for him on the couch at her house, and she sure would be happy to see him.
Bilbo was born with birth defects, and the doctors told his parents that he would go to the Bridge at a young age. But a funny thing happened to Bilbo. He got so much love from his parents, and from Dory, and then from Jakey and Arty that it gave him the strength to overcome all those birth defects and to live ten years longer than any veterinarian thought he would, to the age of 15.
Bilbo didn’t want anyone to know because he was getting the maximum amount of love he could get from his parents, and from Arty and Jakey, but not having love from Dory every day did make his life more of a struggle.
When Bilbo got Dory’s invitation to join her at the Bridge, he was reluctant. As much as he was feeling each 15 years of his life he did not want to leave his parents. They had lost Dory two months ago, and he did not want to cause people any more pain. But he was blessed with very understanding parents, who knew that his time had come. They also knew that Dory needed a sibling at the Bridge, so she was no longer lonely, and Bilbo could keep her out of trouble.
Dory, a dog who loves flowers, was sitting in a garden nervously waiting for Bilbo to arrive. When he did all his mortal struggles washed away as the clouds of tears drenched Rainbow Bridge. Dory raced of out the flowers, knocked over her brother, and covered him with 1,000 kisses.
There were lots of things Bilbo needed to do before he could officially become an angel but that could wait. We all stopped to watch the young Dory and Bilbo playing together.
I made a wish their parents could shut their eyes and see it.
I think it would surely help them. Yes, I do.
