Finding Serenity After the Death of a Loyal Companion

"You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...."

The day my dog Duncan passed away a close friend gave me a card with the poem Rainbow Bridge inside. The poem is about where pets wait once they pass on. It brought tears to my already tear stained eyes, but it also brought me some peace in the knowledge that my beloved pet was not gone forever.

As I waited for her ashes, I grieved but I received some serenity by giving her an online memorial. I wanted everyone to know what a great gift I had sharing my life with hers. I searched for ideas on how best to celebrate her life and I discovered many online pet loss support groups. Talking with others who could understand your loss made the grieving process a little more bearable.

Weeks later, when I received her ashes from the vet I had many questions as to what I should do next. The first thing to cross my mind was to keep her ashes in a safety deposit box until the time of my death and have her buried with me. Though I liked the idea of having her buried with me for eternity, I did not feel it celebrated the unconditional love and loyalty she gave me over the twelve years we spent together.

Another idea was to bury her in a pet memorial cemetery. I liked the idea of her having her own burial plot and the memorial park offered many of the same amenities a cemetery for humans offered. I liked the option of a pet cemetery but I knew that our family would be moving soon to another more permanent area. I did not want to leave her behind.

I finally decided to plant a crab apple tree in front of our new home and bury her ashes underneath the tree. I chose a Flowering Crab Apple tree because of the little grumpy noises she would make in the mornings. My dog was not a morning dog!

The engraved memorial urn I chose had her name and the dates of her birth and death upon it. I did this so that if the tree was ever removed and they would know immediately that the urn contained remains. A stone angel memorial was then set underneath the tree to mark her grave. To this day, my neighbors identify my house as the one with the angle under the tree!

I was so amazed at the many options for immortalizing her ashes and memory. I could have chosen something that would allow for a picture memorial of her or a garden stone with a place for her ashes. The choice of memorial urns was endless. I was glad I spent the time finding just the right one. It helped me heal.

Duncan has been gone for years now. I still miss her, but every time I feel that pang, I look to her tree and the guardian angel that sits underneath and I remember we will meet again at Rainbow Bridge.