Where there is a vast ocean of love to give, and so many pets are waiting to be adopted, why should we not open our hearts to them? I pondered upon this question the moment my phone rang.
I could not drink my morning coffee as the first day I brought Mr. Patches Ruby home on a Caribbean Island I was visiting, he had taken a sip of my coffee. I caught him in the act as he was sitting on top of a side table trying to drink it.
Memories are the best medicine as they rejuvenate a crying soul.
I will never forget all the memories we had made in almost 16 years. Yet again, I pondered upon a question since this morning.
How soon will I recover from missing my pet baby?
I think never, but it will get easier day by day. I was barely eating, sleeping, or even checking my blood sugar as I am a diabetic. Every night before going to bed, I check my blood sugar. Yet I did not want to even worry about it as I was swamped in depression and anxiety about what could I do to stop the pain of missing Patches. I know the love will continue forever.
My house felt so empty without the sounds of his pitter-patter little paws and barking to tell me when he wants to walk. Even in the middle of the night at times these days, Patches would want to walk. I would get up from writing or trying to sleep to just walk him in the chilly breezy nights yet I always had asked a friend to accompany me.
My pain became intolerable as I walked out from Patches’s funeral.
Outside, my friend was standing with news. She told me to go with her for a bit as someone was coming to meet me in San Diego all the way from Los Angeles.
I accompanied her and my four best friends who also were there when I adopted Patches and through his funeral almost sixteen years later. As I came home, there I found a Shih Tzu breeder with a new pup who looked just like Patches yet not black and white, but brown and white. The pup is 3 lbs and a few weeks old. His eyes were watching me and pulled me toward him. I grabbed him and knew I had to adopt him as that was my solace. It’s as if the Lord just gave me a sign that’s what Patches would want me to do.
I had to walk this part of my life’s journey with caution.
I don’t ever want to be someone else’s rebound. So I did not want to have any pup who would ever think he is a rebound relationship. I know it felt too soon as I want to keep Patches’s memories sealed within my soul forever. I know Patches will always be with me as my love for him and his love for me will keep us in a bond eternally. The void left by Patches will never be filled.
Yet this baby pup needed a home and I needed someone to be in my lonely home where the music of pitter-patter would fill the air. The morning wake-up calls would be barking, not just the smell of fresh brewed morning coffee. I realized love can’t be replaced but can always be given as love is a vast ocean that never empties out, even after a tsunami of tears. This baby Shih Tzu who looks so much like Patches would be filling my house with love once again.
Remember in my dreams, I had seen Patches jumped into the ocean of reincarnation and left behind a small pup.
Life is filled with blessings all around us. I realized my Lord had given me the dream to make this journey easier. He had said in my dreams, life is always a blessing through tears and laughter. For when things get tough, the road ahead is the only way to keep on going even though tears might be blocking our vision.
A very fast bark followed in the air, those barks of a two-and-a-half-month-old puppy. He wagged his tail as he watched me with his eyes wide open.
I realized pets have a small life span and it’s all right because in this small amount of time, they teach us how to love without any conditions.
We the humans can adopt as many pups as we like and let this love continue. As we bid farewell to one, we continue the gift of giving and getting from all the other pets we raise.
The answer to my own question was easy, what I could not see my amazing four friends (who too were there with Patches his entire life) did, and gifted me the gift of a newborn puppy. My friends gave me the answer. It’s never too early or late to adopt a pet. The answer is when you are ready or when a pet calls you and you fall in love with the pet, it’s time to heal and share the vast love we the humans have with our furry companions.
My new pet called me as he watched me with his innocent baby eyes and I knew he was a gift to me from Patches.
As I walked into my apartment complex with my new furry baby boy, everyone said the same thing as the leasing team rushed out to see my furry baby.
Some were in tears as others said those eyes would call anyone. They did say Patches was the best dog they had ever seen, but Moo was his baby boy as he was a gift from Patches.
Dreams are just that dreams until they become reality.
My nightmare too came true as it was a future forecast given to me by my Lord. I bid farewell to my furry boy Mr. Patches Ruby as I welcomed my new furry boy Moo Patches Ruby. I must let you know, I am healing as I have a new healer named Moo in my home.
Moo was brought home with a lot of love and support from my four friends. I realized life is a cycle where we can never go backward but only must move forward. Death is a part of birth as I had written years ago my prayer called, “CONSORT OF LIFE IS DEATH” from my book Spiritual Songs: Letters From My Chest.
Today I realized we don’t have to drown ourselves within grief but maybe take a bath from it and rejuvenate ourselves.
As my furry baby, Mr. Patches Ruby went to walk through the tunnel of death, it was dark as the sun had set in the vast skies. Today though as I woke up and the sun had risen, it was dawn again, and this dawn I brought home Moo Patches Ruby.
Yet my emotions are like waves. One minute I am fine and feel like I can walk slowly and look forward to the future. Yet at other times I am like a runny faucet and my eyes can’t stop pouring tears. Yet I will be all right as I have a new companion who is there walking with me. My little furry baby boy Moo is loved as much as Patches. There is no difference as I told him Patches is his Big Daddy who started the legacy of my puppies. Patches will always be the original Ruby furry baby. I talk to Moo about Patches so he knows who his Big Daddy is and his great legacy will live on forever. Patches began a legacy in this home, and Moo will continue it as he even carries his name as a middle name.
So this night if you are drowning in sorrows, remember my prayer “CANDLES OF HOPE” from my book Spiritual Songs: Letters From My Chest. We only light the candles during the dark nights, but extinguish them in the morning. Death and birth are also candles of hope.
Carry the candles in your hands until dawn breaks open.
Today, my dawn broke open as his name is Moo Patches Ruby. I’m not forgetting the love Patches gave me, but giving the same love to Moo as so many furry friends are out there who need our love. Love is not selfish but selfless. Through this selfless love, I too am able to rejuvenate and know I have so much more love to give. I will keep lighting candles and will wait for dawn to break through with new hope as I believe in rejuvenating eternal love.
Be safe and maybe you will find solace from your religious leaders or books. At times, you could look into all different books, even spiritual books as they gave me the solace and peace I was seeking. My Spiritual Songs have been my solace through all the dark nights.
About Moo Patches Ruby:
He is an adorable pup who watches me with his beautiful eyes, and smiles when he is picked up ever so gently. He runs around and knows when coffee is brewing. So my new alarm clock starts my days early. He knows Mr. Patches Ruby was his Big Daddy as Patches was the first Shih Tzu furry baby I had ever adopted. Moo is my second Shih Tzu furry baby. So the legacy of Ruby Shih Tzus continues.
I hope you read both my blog posts about this ordeal and get some emotional help through my words. My advice to all of you who have read both of my blog posts (A NEW DAWN and EMOTIONAL BEREAVEMENT AS A PET PARENT) and need solace, is to take your time to heal.
It will never get easy as it’s not easy for me either. I let the tears roll as they just come. Yet I let Moo guide me through my days and nights as he is a busy boy. It helped me tremendously to adopt another furry baby. This was the best path.
My spiritual soul believes in reincarnation, rejuvenation, and healing with peace and serenity. For where there is faith, there is healing and where there is love and peace, there is understanding that the Lord guides and holds on to all of our hands throughout the dark nights and throughout the days.
This article was written from my perspective, how I learned to cope with the painful loss of being a pet parent.
Reincarnation and believing in the doors of reincarnation are my solace. Pets and children are never replaceable as when life ends there is no about turn. Yet we the living must go on with it even with pain. How you choose to cope with your pain is the way we keep on going. I always know there is a new dawn at the end of the darkness.
However even in the new dawn, one must learn to cope with pain and learn to live again. Life is beautiful so celebrate each dawn with your physical and spiritual presence. Enjoy life with your mind body and soul. I suggest enjoy your time on Earth every second and know life is a beautiful experience. For where there is faith, there is always a new dawn.
When and where there is a cut it will hurt, yet putting some antibiotic ointment will help reduce the pain and will help you heal slowly. My articles are written with love to help you the one who is seeking knocking and asking for some help.
Have faith and let your inner faith be your guide.
Enjoy the photos of Moo as I celebrate the birth of Moo Patches Ruby.
I know Mr. Patches Ruby is walking through the tunnel of reincarnation to be reborn as a human boy for that was his wish. As he visited me in my dreams, he had asked to be reborn as a human boy.
I pray all creations of the one Creator find peace, joy, and happiness within our one world. Laugh, cry, and let the emotions flow through your mind, body, and soul as you awaken and rejuvenate as a human who understands the true meaning of life is letting go and letting life be filled with hope and blessings for all.
“Don’t extinguish hope as you bury yourselves in sorrow but keep the candles glowing throughout the dark nights until dawn breaks open through the night skies, and you hear a Moo Moo here and a Moo Moo there, you know then you will always remember yesterday. But then, you keep moving on as today it’s a new dawn.”
A poem for Moo Patches Ruby
A NEW DAWNDarkness evolves around
The dark night skies.
Tears and cries
Are heard from
All beloveds’ hearts
As
Things go wrong.
Never planned,
Never expected,
Never understood
Turns of life
Just take place.
Tsunamis of tears,
Flood the souls.
Volcanoes
Of anger
Erupt
In the hearts,
Never understanding
The unexpected
Turns of life.
Yet new dawns break through
Tsunamis, and
Volcanoes calm down
As we find
Ourselves holding
On to new beginnings,
New hopes,
New knocks
On the doors,
We had closed in fear.
We open
Our hearts,
Our minds,
Our souls,
For we know
Darkness evaporates
As the first
Glitter of light
Approaches
From far away.
It’s then we know
Today,
We again
Gain back
Our hope, and
Our love
As
Our prayers
Have been answered,
Even beneath
The dark night skies.
We hear
The sweet calming
Sounds of
Moos
Become louder,
As these musical
Sounds
Muffle
The horrific sounds.
Finally,
We know then
It’s the beginning
Of
A NEW DAWN.
My blessings be with all of you,