Puppy Love #13

On this Valentine’s Day it seemed appropriate to share this short, sweet story. Love – it comes in many forms and as I’ve said before, it is not extinguished with the death of a body. Rather it lives on in its energetic form where it can be felt and kept close to your heart. Sometimes, it is so close, it’s tangible. Sometimes, its energy so strong it can be seen by human eye and very often by those of beloved pets.

Our family was blessed for many years with a pet named Emmie. She was a rescue dog from a shelter of mixed breed heritage and brought a sweetness to our lives we dearly miss. We brought her into our home when Brian and his brother were in third grade, and she grew up with them, not leaving until after Brian did, and well into her 15th year. She was of a quiet gentle nature and adored everyone (with the exception of one particular furniture delivery guy years ago who must have had some bad juju).

No matter where her bed was placed in our home, she always made her way to the doors outside of our bedrooms. Even in her advanced age, she made her way each night up a flight of stairs to rest on a landing between my room and my sons leaving her comfy bed downstairs unoccupied. There she would stay until someone came out to walk her down the next day.

One particular night, after Brian had been gone for some time, I was awakened to a sound I did not recognize. After coming around enough to begin to make sense of it, I realized I was hearing a steady “thump, thump, thump” coming from outside my room. I stood and made my way to the closed bedroom door as the sound continued and turned on the overhead light. The light did not stop the thumping and I realized that whatever it was, was hitting my door or close to it. I didn’t feel afraid, it was just odd, so I opened it to find Emmie there.

As the light from my room streamed out to the landing and stairway, I could plainly see her. She was sitting straight up, her tail wagging and steadily hitting my door jamb. Her eyes were wide open and staring up at something in what had been the pitch-black darkness with that puppy smile (you know that happy to see you smile they get). She was not looking at me, but rather something else. The light was streaming from behind me, the landing and stair well still dark, she did not break stride. She did not turn to look at me but rather kept staring, wagging and doggie smiling. As I was still groggy and not taking it all in, I said out loud, “aww, what are looking at girl?” as I touched her head and smiled, it had not hit me. I closed my door as she finally settled down and I went back to bed before I realized, I know what or better yet who she was smiling at.

Someone came to visit his puppy. There is simply no other explanation.

Love…..