Kathy’s Tail – A Comforting Visit From Beyond

It is not unusual for people to have a conversation or to have a visit from a departed beloved nonhuman friend. Sometimes these visits are often bittersweet.  Many people have a belief system that prescribes “getting over” or “recovering” from both pet and people losses. Sometimes we adjust but never really forget or recover. People continue with their daily routines, seeking dreams, identifying personal strengthens and weaknesses, traveling to new places, traveling in our minds. Through it all, we remember them. Kathy lost a beloved golden retriever named Duncan. Toward the end of his life he hobbled and seemed to have great difficulty walking. Kathy took Jim to the vet and learned that he had a tumor in his pelvis. Not wanting to witness him suffer, she took Duncan to the vet for the last time to say goodbye. It was a difficult goodbye and an equally difficult adjustment that followed putting him down. she thought about him every day, and many times during the day.

Empty House

The first few weeks were difficult for her and her family. The house felt empty without Duncan and Kathy thought about him everyday. Several months after he passed away, Kathy was vacuuming her bedroom carpet when she heard the outdoor wind chimes move that Duncan loved to watch. There was no wind and she wondered how they could move. Kathy was convinced that Duncan was there with her. She continued vacuuming with tears in her eyes as she thought about her beloved friend. Kathy left the room to do some cleaning in the kitchen. She returned to the room and there in the middle of the carpet that she had just vacuumed was a lock of hair that looked just like Duncan’s hair!! Now Kathy was ever so sure that Duncan was visiting her!! She would later tell people that she found this visit comforting!!