In Honor Of Sapphire
Namaste Sapphire!
Do I say goodbye or do I say hello, perhaps both?
Goodbye my friend and angel-in-fur, I shall miss your physical presence in oh so many ways! Yet Truth guides me with a smile, So I may say “Hello my friend, I feel you inside me, For what you are hasn’t gone anywhere.” You now dance in the boundless Light, Purring your purrs of unconditional love, Enjoying the blissful freedom you so deserve! Run and fly my girl, Run and fly like you’ve never done before! Bask in the Light And enjoy the beauty of an unimprisoned Life! You’re no longer confined to an aging body Or within the walls of a small house on Earth. I am so happy for you! My mind swirls in the happiest of memories And in supreme gratitude for what you brought and taught me! You taught and gave me so much in our years together, Teaching me more about love than I could teach myself. And today you are free, free as the wind. Releasing you to Life was both my greatest joy and greatest sorrow, And yet my joy for you outshines my sorrow like the sun outshines the moon. You taught me to Be Here Now, To live in the Present Moment, And I’m SO thankful for that, For it has special meaning at the moment; And now, in your passing, You teach me your most important lesson of all: There is no boundary between us, No place where I end and you begin. We’re married, Married in an unbreakable oneness for eternity, For such is the nature of the Love. I stream tears of happiness for your freedom And the love you brought me And shared relentlessly for all these years. Run my girl, for my heart runs with you, Fly my girl, for my mind flies with you. Let’s take a flying run together into the infinite sky Disappearing into the eternal Love that binds us forever and ever. I love you my friend, completely, freely. We shall meet again, And when we do, It will be Now, this Now, The Eternal Present where we are inseparable. Fly my girl, Fly in your new found freedom. My heart and mind fly with you beautiful one! Fly, baby, fly! Namaste Sapphire! |
Those Final Minutes
When it comes time to release our pets to Life, back to their formless state, we have one shot at it. For me, Sapphire's release was about honoring her Being, her Soul, her Spirit. I knew my mind would replay these few minutes like a broken record, and I wanted the memory to be a powerful, positive, and spiritual one.
I chose two songs to play during these minutes, both by The Beatles. The first one, Here Comes The Sun, was an affirmation of what was really taking place. For Sapphire's euthanasia, I likened the 'coming of the sun' to Sapphire's return to a state of formless Light, one with the Light that is God, the Divine—whatever you choose to call Ultimate Reality. The second song was Let It Be. I wanted this to be a repeating reminder to me during Sapphire's transition, for me to not resist it, to "let it be." They are, as the song says, words of wisdom. So both songs were very supportive to what can be a heart-wrenching experience. I'd given Sapphire her sedative before going to the vets, so the vet only needed to give Sapphire one shot. I had my iTouch ready to play through the docking speakers when Dr. Clemons walked in. She explained that Sapphire would go so fast, that she would be gone before she removed the needle from the vein. And that's what I wanted for Sapphire, a "this won't hurt, did it" experience. Holding Sapphire in my arms, close to my chest, I pressed the "Play" button on my iTouch. As Dr. Clemons leaned over to insert the needle, the lovely melodic introduction to Here Comes The Sun began to play. I watched the needle empty into Sapphire's vein, and as the first words of Here Comes The Sun began, Sapphire's body went completely limp in my arms—in the space of a heartbeat. I held Sapphire as close as I could, singing along in joyous, sorrowful tears. No words can express the mixture of pain and extraordinary love and beauty of these moments. It hurt so good? Whatever, a day later, I think back while listening to Here Comes The Sun, and can replay that powerful moment with ever-increasing joy for Sapphire. I wouldn't change anything about the experience.
And Let It Be turned out to be perfect as well. I needed to hear those words of wisdom repeatedly at this time, especially as sung by The Beatles. I mentally replaced the words "Mother Mary" with "Sapphire" as I listened, so it was Sapphire speaking to me, consoling me. I can't tell you how perfect these two songs turned out to be for this occasion. During the guitar solo of Let It Be, I remember my heart soaring with Sapphire, like twin arrows, out into Infinity. All in all, it was Sapphire singing to me during Let It Be, consoling me, urging me to "let it be." You know, if we could just let everything be, to not struggle against and resist what is, we'd all be at peace. So today, and tomorrow, and the next, I take Sapphire's final advice as my life's mantra, to "let it be."
Namaste. |
An hour before taking Sapphire to the vet, I gave Sapphire something she liked the most, what would be her final massage.
(NOTE: If the video doesn't play, click here)
(NOTE: If the video doesn't play, click here)
Memory Lane: 14 Years of Non-Stop, Fur-Coated Blessings
"I've got nine lives; I hope this attempt doesn't waste one.
Neutering doesn't deter felines from doing the backstroke.
"Honoring your pet is love in action."
Dad, let me sleep! Take one more picture and I introduce you to my claws.
Gizmo! We have our own condo!
I started teaching dad sunrise meditation soon after my adoption.
What do you mean your bed?!
"Pets are sentient beings; they have thoughts and feelings just like you. Treat them that way."
A feline tactic for getting the attention of a busy human:
sit on something they want to use. (see picture below) And when all else fails, I sit on what dad's trying to read. Point is made.
This seat is taken; find your own chair.
Looks like a bird, flies like a bird, maybe it is a bird!
"Pets are a combination of angels-in-fur and four-pawed Zen masters. Learn everything you can from these great teachers."
This makes human beings go, "Awwwww."
Dinner's ready? Cat's meow!
My sister, Gizmo, before my body slam.
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Dad named me after my eyes as we drove home after my adoption.
Dad could think like a cat, well, sometimes.
We had so much fun together, in so many ways. "Pets serve a divine purpose. Never forget that. Take time to honor them each and every day."
Maybe this is the feline version of being 'blind-sided'
Nah, this head-wear won't work dad!
"Every moment spent honoring your pet is a step toward your mutual enlightenment."
A Kodak-moment: the feline yawn.
Catnip rocks!
Seriously dad? You want to play peek-a-boo?
Oh, so that's a dog!
I dare you to so much as move!
I confess; I'm addicted to boxes.
Dad! Sometimes you're too protective!
"Have you hugged your pet today?
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