'Dannyboy'
The candle leads the way to the Rainbow Bridge poem
The story of 'Rainbow Bridge' is an Indian legend
as time permits, there will be links to more information about this legend
Author Unknown
To all who are grieving the loss of a special pet:
I lost a treasured friend today
The little dog who used to lay
Her gentle head upon my knee
And share her silent thoughts with me...
She'll come no longer to my call
Retrieve no more her favorite ball
A voice far greater than my own
Has called her to His golden throne.
Although my eyes are filled with tears,
I thank Him for the happy years
He let her spend down here with me
And for her love and loyalty.
When it is time for me to go
And join her there, this much I know...
I shall not fear the transient dark
For she will greet me with her bark.
Dedicated to all the little Shelties, now gone, who buried themselves in
the hearts of those who loved them.
Embracing Rainbow Bridge where my HeartDog awaits me... was the implausible catalyst towards healing... I have found an incredible new relationship with Echo that I would never have dreamed possible.. Echo is, as is each of our 'BridgeAngels', just a breath & a prayer away, since we have a bond that even the end of her mortal existence here cannot break.
Author Unknown
We have a secret you and I
that no one else shall know,
for who but I can see you lie
each night in fireglow?
And who but I can reach my hand
before we go to bed
and feel the living warmth of you
and touch your silken head?
And only I walk woodland paths
and see ahead of me,
your small form racing with the wind
so young again, and free.
And only I can see you swim
in every brook I pass...
and when I call, no one but I
can see the bending grass.
It is my belief that,our beloved 'furkids' come into our lives and share their's with us..for what to us seems only too brief a time, to learn what it is that we most need. When their work here is done, they travel to this wonderful, beautiful place.. called Rainbow Bridge, and take on a new role... that of guardian angel... providing guidance and comfort that they couldn't provide while sharing our lives here.
Candles for Our BridgeAngels
They glow from our homes each Monday night,
These silent beacons full of light:
A tribute to those kids we love,
Knowing they are watching from above.
These candles seem somehow to warm our hearts
Assuring us that fondest memories wont depart
The gentle radiance of the candles brings us near,
To commemorate the bond we share.
Tho human sight may dim our view just now,
The candlelight will show us how,
To link our love from here to there
Flickering candles show how much we care,
Til once again we are the inseparable pair.
The soul would have no Rainbow, had the eyes no tears.
author unknown
Rainbow Bridge is a boundless place, full of unconditional love. Each of us who have loved and lost, share the comfort of knowing that our beloved 'BridgeAngels' await us there. At the Bridge, there is room for all of us, for all of the love and the bonds that we share, that even the completion of our beloved BridgeAngel's life and work in the world...cannot separate, or end. No one is 'barred' from the Bridge...as the story below illistrates.
author unknown
An old man and his dog were walking down this dirt road with
fences on both sides, they came to a gate in the fence and looked
in, it was nice - grassy, woody areas, just what a dog
and man would like, but, it had a sign saying 'no trespassing' so
they walked on.
They came to a beautiful gate with a person in white robes standing
there. "Welcome to Heaven" he said. The old man was happy and
started in with his dog following him.
The gatekeeper stopped him. "Dogs aren't allowed, I'm sorry but
he can't come with you." "What kind of Heaven won't allow dogs?
If He can't come in, then I will stay out with him.
He's been my faithful companion all his life, I can't desert him now."
"Suit yourself, but I have to warn you, the Devil's on this road
and he'll try to sweet talk you into his area, he'll promise you
anything, but, the dog can't go there either. If you won't leave
the dog, you'll spend Eternity on this road."
So the old man and dog went on.
They came to a rundown fence with a gap in it, no gate, just a hole.
Another old man was inside. "Scuse me Sir, my dog and I are getting
mighty tired, mind if we come in and sit in the shade for awhile?"
"Of course, there's some cold water under that tree over there.
"Make
yourselves comfortable". "You're sure my dog can come in?
The man down the road said dogs weren't allowed anywhere."
"Would you come in if you had to leave the dog?"
"No sir, that's why I didn't go to Heaven, he said the dog couldn't
come in. We'll be spending Eternity on this road, and a glass of
cold
water and some shade would be mighty fine right about now. But, I
won't come in if my buddy here can't come too, and that's final."
The man smiled a big smile and said "Welcome to Heaven."
"You mean this is Heaven? Dogs ARE allowed? How come that fellow
down the road said they weren't?"
"That was the Devil and he gets all the people who are willing to
give up a life long companion for a comfortable place to stay.
They soon find out their mistake, but, then it's too late. The dogs
come here, the fickle people stay there. GOD wouldn't allow dogs to
be banned from Heaven. After all, HE created them to be man's
companions in life, why would he separate them in death?"
--Author Unknown
A Bridge Called Love
Author Unknown
It takes us back to brighter years,
to happier sunlit days
and to precious moments
that will be with us always.
And these fond recollections
are treasured in the heart
to bring us always close to those
from whom we had to part.
There is a bridge of memories
from earth to Heaven above...
It keeps our dear ones near us
It's the bridge that we call love.
Let your dreams be... the wind beneath your wings.
ON LOAN FROM GOD (Author Unknown)
God promised at the birth of time,
A special friend to give,
His time on earth is short, he said,
So love him while he lives.
It may be six or seven years,
Or twelve or then sixteen,
But will you, till I call him back,
Take care of him for me?
A wagging tail and cold wet nose,
And silken velvet ears,
A heart as big as all outdoors,
To love you through the years.
His puppy ways will gladden you,
And antics bring a smile,
As guardian or friend he will,
Be loyal all the while.
He'll bring his charms to grace your life,
And though his stay be brief,
When he's gone the memories,
Are solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return,
But lessons only a dog can teach,
I want you each to learn.
Whatever love you give to him,
Returns in triple measure,
Follow his lead and gain a life,
Brim full of simple pleasure.
Enjoy each day as it comes,
Allow your heart to guide,
Be loyal and steadfast in love,
As the dog there by your side.
Now will you give him all your love,
Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call,
To take him back again?
I fancy each of us would say,
"Dear Lord, thy will be done,
For all the joy this dog shall bring,
The risk of grief we'll run.
"We'll shelter him with tenderness,
We'll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we've known,
Forever grateful stay.
"But shall the angels call for him,
Much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes,
And try to understand."
We little knew that morning,
God was going to call your name.
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
You did not go alone.
For part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.
You left us beautiful memories,
Your love is still our guide.
And though we cannot see you,
You are always by our side.
Our family chain is broken,
And nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one-by-one
The chain will link again.
Farewell to a Friend
When I gaze into your eyes,
I feel a warmth, I realize,
We need not tell just how we feel,
A love that's warm, a love that's real.
And when we soon will have to part,
you will remain within my heart.
And I will feel a warm soft glow,
When thoughts of you do fill my soul...
George Pease.
Copied by permission..all rights reserved.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die...
-Anonymous
Among the many things thatI learned thru this painful dark time in my life are a few thots that thru repeating here, I hope may bring comfort to you as you read these pages
Grief is a process: Cry when you need to, Laugh when you can.
Try not to question the decisions you made... that lead up to your Angel's journey.
Since we can no longer have the kind of relationship in the physical sense that we had with our beloved furkids while they were here, doesn't mean that we have to go on without them ... we can awaken to a new... spiritual relationship with them, that allows us to 'see' them in a whole new and wonderful way.
We can allow the 'death'..{tho I really don't like that word} of our beloved friend to be the end of our relationship, or... we can begin to understand that our beloved furkids would never truly leave us, that our connection has only been changed, not ended, but we alone have a choice. Our BridgeAngels will not intrude if we are not ready or or certain that we want this.
This is not about God or religion... it is about spirituality and the life we can share now...that exists just beyond our human sight.
Echo is healthy, safe and loved at that Bridge and that Bridge is real.
At one point during my journey thru this dark time.. someone asked me a question that continues to bring me comfort.... paraphrased .. it is like this... 'when your Echo when to Rainbow Bridge...did your love die also?'..of course my response was.. 'of course not'.... well then... Echo still lives... as long as that bond of love is there...Echo will always live... and so it is with your own loss... as long as the love lives.... and .. at least for me.. the bond of love only grows stronger...our beloved fur/purr/BridgeAngel lives!
I have received a request.. to develop a page that accounts the visits of my 'BridgeAngels' such as Echo's Visit, and will attempt to address this need shortly with links back to here. Echo again made an an amazing visit, retold in Angels With Doves, on Friday July 3rd, 1998, and I will account that visit, as well as others. Two others of Echo's visits are in the process of preparation for these pages, so please visit again soon to read about this magnificent Angel's efforts to open, and maintain an open communication with me. It is also possible that this could develop into a 'group' of pages to include your own stories of 'your' BridgeAngel visits. Please feel free to contact me thru the e-mail link below.. if you have a 'visit' you would like to share in this new effort.
'Candles For Our BridgeAngels' is © copyrighted by Candlochen 1997,1998,1999 and may not be recopied, or reposted except by written permission of the author, please use the e-mail link below to request use of the poem.
This page was created April 2, 1998, newly modified January 3, 2001, and is the beginning of an attempt to describe what Rainbow Bridge means to me, and the beauty that awaits us when we join our BridgeAngels there. Please bear with me as the changes may be slow.
Animated Rainbow, courtesy of: Fantasy At Your Finger Tips
All rights reserved by Candlochen, © copyright 1999-2007
