Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Gizmo, Tiny and the Power of Angel Prayers

I have been spending a lot of time with my friends Gizmo and Tiny.  Gizmo arrived at Rainbow Bridge four years ago, shortly before I did, and Tiny joined Gizmo a short time ago.  Both passings broke their parents' hearts.  But they were required here because Gizmo and Tiny’s parents were about to need a lot of prayers.

On April 3, Gizmo and Tiny’s dad collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital.  Tiny frantically ran into my cottage panicked about what to do.  He was a new Angel and knew his prayers would help his dad.  Gizmo followed right behind him, and we calmed down Tiny, and we went to the big Bridge cathedral to pray for their dad.

I stayed with them at the cathedral during the night.  Neither Gizmo or Tiny would leave, except for ghost visits for more than a month.

Their dad, Brian, was admitted to the hospital.  He was told he was a complicated case.  His blood pressure rose and fell with each test.  Their mom, who had just lost Tiny, faced losing her husband too.  “We can’t let that happen to mommy!” Gizmo said.

“Daddy is not too crazy about it either,” Tiny chimed in.

Through the night Daddy Brian went through several tests, got assigned a critical care specialist, and finally, after more than twelve hours, got a room.  His exhausted mom went home for some restless sleep

Once Daddy Brian was in his room I left Gizmo and Tiny to their prayers.  I checked in on them every day.  They never left the cathedral or slept.  Four days after Dad Brian entered the hospital he was released.  Gizmo told me that their dad had Langerhans cell histiocytosis.  The name of the disease was bigger than we three dogs combined.  I read a lot about it and understood nothing.  To break it down it is a serious respiratory disease.

He was sent home with a new oxygen machine, new tanks, and a BiPAP machine plus lots of little dog angel prayers.  I told the praying duo that their dad was home safe, but they continued their vigil.

They were in the cathedral on April 28 when their dad was scheduled for surgery.  Their mom had to get their dad into the van, then into the hospital, then into the gown, while doing several oxygen tanks switches only to be told the operation had been canceled.  The cathedral had never heard spoken such cuss words of frustration from little dogs as it did that day.

Finally, on May 12 Daddy Brian had a successful surgery.  When he got home Gizmo and Tiny finally left the cathedral.  They were both very tired, but they still flew into the sun which transported them to their parent’s side where they stayed near them hoping they could sense their ghostly presence.

Daddy Brian still needs lots of prayers and Gizmo, and Tiny will be in the cathedral praying for him.  Tiny’s might be a little Yorkie but her passing to the Bridge may have provided the necessary prayers to keep their parents together.

Sometimes senseless passing to the Bridge sometimes makes sense.  

Tiny is our March 26, 2016 Pup of the Week

My parents have a liquor cabinet in their living room.  They don’t have liquor bottles, so mommy stores her blankets in it.  On top of the cabinet are my ashes and several items our friends sent to my parents after my passing.  One of them is a lovely fold out card with many pictures of me with inspirational quotes.  It was sent by mommy’s friend Pam Bolton and her husband Brian.  It was signed by them and their Yorkie Tiny.

I always have a special place in my heart for my fellow Yorkies.  Tiny’s family’s kind gesture inspired me to follow her closely.  I loved to see her bring joy to her family.  You can measure a dog’s worth by how happy they make their humans.  For a small dog Tiny is worth a tremendous amount.

Last week Tiny suddenly became ill.  She could not walk correctly.  She did not want to eat.  She was vomiting.  Parents never expect their five-year-old dog to become seriously ill.  When I checked in on my friend, I became very concerned.  We little dogs can become very sick in a short amount of time.  My Tiny friend was seriously ill.

There were several days of scans and tests.  Tiny was not getting any better.  Watching her struggle was like looking into my past.  There were thousands of prayers being flown up the mountain for Tiny.  I decided to make my own personal plea.

The Big Guy was sitting on his throne in a cave at the top of the mountain where he could see all beings:  Mortal and Immortal.  There were prayers scattered around the cave and piled high.  I don’t know how he gets through all of them.  He didn’t look up.  “Yes Foley?” he asked.

“My friend Tiny is sick.  Her family loves her very much.”

“Tiny’s ending has been written,” the Big Guy said.  “There is no stopping it now.”

His direct answers always steamed me.  “Why Tiny?  She is five.  She’s a baby.  She brings her family nothing but joy.  Have you looked out your cave and seen the mortal world lately?  Do you know what they need?  They need joy.  So little brings people joy now.  And you are going to remove something that makes people happy.  For what?”

He looked up at me.  “For nothing,” he said.  “I have told you, don’t try to make sense out of death’s timing.  There is none.”  

He went back to work.  I stomped out of the cave on my tiny paws and flew off.

I went to see Tiny’s brother Gizmo.  Gizmo had preceded me to the Bridge by six weeks.  He was nervously pacing in his little house.  When he saw me, we wordlessly hugged.  We both knew Tiny would be arriving soon.  I helped Gizmo make up a bed for Tiny although I knew, at least for the first few days, Gizmo and Tiny would snuggle together.

We were together to see Tiny’s parents get the devastating news.  Tiny had a mass in her chest.  She was monitored, and Tiny’s parents discussed options with the vet, but the bottom line was that it was unlikely Tiny would get better.  She was brought home for one final night until the vet arrived the next day to send Tiny to Gizmo and me.  

Gizmo and I were there to meet Tiny when she arrived.  She ran to Gizmo and gave him a long hug.  The other angels arrived to greet Tiny.  “I should have had more time,” she said softly.  We then all ran to her and covered her in hugs and kisses.

Tiny and Gizmo have settled in nicely.  All of Tiny’s pain and suffering is over, and he has been granted immortal life.  They are always with their parents even if their parents don’t know it.

I do feel for the people in the sad and lonely mortal world.  While Tiny has brightened the immortal side, her passing had made the mortal side a shade darker.

They are the ones who need the light.

A dog named Tiny is our March 2, 2014 Pup of the Week

As you can imagine, in my official capacity as one of the Judges who swears in newly arriving pups at Rainbow Bridge I make my first acquaintance with many dogs during their initial crossing.  Some I come to know, some others disappear to be with their friends and family in the mountains or downriver,  and some, if they are lucky, move up river where their humans live.  On February 20, while performing my duties, I met a small black min pin named Tiny who had spent nearly ten years on the mortal side of the Bridge with his loving Mom.   While he had friends waiting for him he was more concerned about his Mom.

So I told Tiny to follow me and we scampered down the hill to the River of Life.  I nosed one of the shiny pebbles washed up by the waves to him, told him to nose it into the River and think of his Mom.  He did (he was quite well trained) and then I saw his Mom and she was having a terrible time with his passing.

I sat him down and asked him if his Mom was involved in dog social networking.  “You mean people who go online to write about their dog’s every little poop, fart, and twinge obsessively worrying and commenting on things until they are written about to death?” he asked.  I said yes, and he said no.  I found that odd.

So I told him how to go down into his Mom’s dreams, and tell her to join this group called Doggyspace because there she would find lots of pup’s Moms who went through what she was going through and they could help her heal.  Like the well trained loving dog that Tiny is, he did so, and soon his Mom found her way on to DS and began to feel the wave of love and understanding that such sites can provide grieving parents, as my parents can certainly attest.

Soon new friends were posting blogs saying there was a new member on the site who needed help and dozens of friend requests filled his inbox and in each friendship his Mom found someone who had been where she had been and was willing to help.  Soon Tommy Tunes had done a picture tribute, and a dog who, when he was on the mortal side of the River had no online friends, was now known across the country and over oceans.

When I introduced myself to Tiny’s Mom I humbly told her that I was “kind of a big deal.”  But the truth is all dogs are big deals, even Tiny ones, especially in their Mom’s heart, and even if he is not well known, and did not leave a huge social media impact, he is a very big deal.

With a big duty ahead of him.  He now needs to find the right pup to help heal his Mom’s broken heart.  I know he’ll be able to do it.

Sometimes it takes a Tiny dog.