Remembering Two Precious Souls

Sami

The animals are more ancient than us. They were here for millennia before humans surfaced on the earth. Animals are our ancient brothers and sisters. They enjoy a seamless presence – a lyrical unity with the earth. Animals live outside in the wind, in the waters, in the mountains, and in the clay. The knowing of the earth is in them. The Zen-like silence and thereness of the landscape is mirrored in the silence and solitude of animals. Animals know nothing of Freud, Jesus, Buddha, Wall Street, the Pentagon, or the Vatican. They live outside the politics of human intention. Somehow they already inhabit the eternal. ~  John O'Donohue, in Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

It is with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that I report the death of two beloved animal friends who perished in an apartment fire after their guardian had left for work. By the time they were discovered, both had succumbed to smoke inhalation, and it was too late to save them.

Aurora

These precious souls belonged to a close friend and treasured colleague. She is one of the dearest persons I have ever known. She already has experienced losses of the cruelest kind, including the death of her beloved husband, and through her work in hospice she has dedicated her life to helping and supporting others. She is a lover of animals, and through her volunteering as a certified Pet Loss Counselor, she understands better than most the pain that accompanies the death of a cherished companion animal. 

I simply cannot imagine the magnitude of all that she has lost in this fire ~ her material possessions, yes ~ but most especially the fur babies she loved most dearly and who would bring her moments of comfort now. While my heart hurts for her and I share in her grief, I know that her own heart has been broken into a million pieces.

I pray that the constant love of caring friends will soften her sorrow, that cherished memories will bring her comfort, and that lasting peace will surround her grieving heart. ♥

© by Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, DCC