Grief lingers, even after necessary goodbyes. Rose’s story is a testament to the enduring power of love, the comfort found in nature’s wonders, and the beautiful message butterflies carry. It reminds us that even in loss, there can be transformation and a path towards healing.
Comforting a Beloved Pet. The Difficult Decision of Euthanasia
We knew we wouldn’t have our lovely doggie Blanchie forever and after nursing her for weeks I knew it was time for her to go in a peaceful way and not wait until her condition had deteriorated any further.
So I prepared all day Thursday and Friday to be with her, play piano for her and just massage and hold her. I had her vet come on Friday to euthanize her at home in her favorite spot near my piano. We wrapped her and buried her with an array of flowers on the hill below the guest house where her doggie brothers Willie and Daffy lie and we said our goodbyes as the sunset.
It was pretty beautiful but extremely sad too My husband Leo and I of course were devastated. That day was the hottest day on record and our a/c broke down so we slept in the guest house. When we got up it was unbearable being in the house without her so I suggested we take a day or two to be together and console each other I started to pack my bags in my closet bedroom and looked down at the day bed and remembered her always sitting on it watching me dress and pick out clothes.
A Butterfly’s Surprise Visit
I thought about how I would love to see her sitting there again. I went into the laundry to get some clothes and came back to the room to pack and there on the same spot on the bed against the pillow was an enormous beautiful butterfly the size of my hand. We have never had a butterfly fly into the house.
I ran and called my husband to see it and when he came in and saw it we both tried to free it. I pulled back the curtain opened the window and Leo gently guided it to the outside opening. We both stood there and watched as it flew away into the blue sky then just disappeared.
We could not have asked for a better gift to ease our pain than a butterfly who to most cultures symbolizes the transformation and passage of the soul and the acceptance of change and renewal. As one quote I read put it, ‘The butterfly unwaveringly accepts the change and possibilities of its new life’.
So now that’s what we hold in our hearts, that Blanchie has bravely moved on and accepted her new life and that gives us the courage to accept this very big loss and change in our own lives – and move forward with the millions of sweet memories of her and her constant love.
Rose and Leo’s experience is a touching reminder that the spirit of loved ones can linger, offering comfort and guiding our path forward. The butterfly, a symbol of new beginnings, serves as a gentle nudge that life, like the butterfly’s journey, continues to unfold. As Rose and Leo carry the love of their beloved Blanchie in their hearts, they embrace change and find the strength to move forward, forever cherished by the memories of their furry friend.
