Real Life Rainbow Bridge Stories

by Kim
(USA)

My grandmother passed away last month, and on the day that she died, I was walking down our country road, with Oreo and Paris, thinking about her. Suddenly a beautiful Monarch butterfly came flitting out of the trees, and floated around above me, very unusual for this time of year, they are not supposed to be here. It then landed on a cedar tree, where I took out my phone and took a picture of it.

I felt a peace in my heart, because I felt like the Lord sent the butterfly to comfort me, and to let me know that my Mimi had shed her old earthly “cocoon”, and was now in Heaven, in her glorified body, just like the metamorphosis of a butterfly. After the walk, I didn't mention the butterfly to anyone, since the busyness of life has a way of making us forget about the everyday miracles that happen around us.

This morning, on 11/21/11, exactly 10 years and 3 days from when a gangly four and a half month old Boxer puppy stepped out of his crate at the airport, the best dog friend that I have ever known, my one and only Oreo, died peacefully in his home, where he was with the ones that he loved with all of his mighty heart, and who loved him the same in return.

My husband had to get off the job that he was on, to come and bury him, so as we all sat around him, stroking his beautiful brindle coat, holding his paw in my hand, and trying to seal everything about him in my mind; his curled ear tip, the beautiful half round marking on his neck, that looked like a cookie being dipped in milk, the softly grayed muzzle, the big paws that he loved to have dremmeled, and the tummy that you couldn’t sit in a chair with your legs crossed without him coming up and trying to get you to scratch with your foot. He looked like he was asleep in his favorite position. My kids, asking if he was in Heaven, me telling them “of course..”, as I sat there, tears streaming, just begging God in my heart to please let it be so.

Later when, I came into the kitchen, Whitney mentioned that when they had gone outside with the dogs earlier, there was a Monarch butterfly on the ground. Cait, the walking 10 year old nature encyclopedia, had picked it up and taken it to a tree, so it would be away from the dogs, and commented to Whitney that it was “unusual for a butterfly to be here at this time of year, because this is when they migrate to Mexico.” As soon as Whitney mentioned the butterfly, a peace came over me, and I ran outside, crying, to see it, but it had already flown away. I came back in and told my kids about the butterfly that I had seen last month, when I was so sad about Mimi, and then today, when I was praying so hard for my Oreo to be in Heaven when we get there, God sent another beautiful butterfly, to give me the comfort of knowing that we will see him again.

I am still in shock that my beautiful best four legged friend is gone, but I have peace in my heart that our beloved pets WILL be in Heaven, no matter what any theologian says to the contrary. I think Oreo knew that today was his day to “fly” as well, because this morning, when I let him out to potty, he walked down to the gate, when my husband was opening it to leave for work, and he has NEVER done that in his life. My husband patted him, and sent him back up to the house, waiting to make sure that he came back inside, before he left. Oreo had gone down there to tell him good bye. He then came and took his place in the living room, by the couch where I read and have coffee in the morning, while it is still quiet, before everyone else is awake, and that is how he spent his last morning here. His body now rests between the Magnolia and pine trees in our yard, beside Georgie and baby Angel, but his spirit is chasing butterflies in Heaven, waiting for us to join him some day. I love you forever, my beautiful boy. ♥