You have to start somewhere, so I will start this on Christmas Eve.  Petra, our 15 & 1/4 year old German Shepherd, had not been well for the last couple of weeks.  My Mom came over to visit Petra; Isis (her sister); her people Daddy (Peter), plus me.  And, as if my Mom sprinkled some magic snow on her, a miracle happened;  the pup in Petra was born again.  Up to that point she had hardly lifted her head which meant no kisses.  But now, there were kisses for Mom and then me followed with some special time with Peter.  Petra’s appetite, enthusiasm, and joy for life were back.  My heart lit up with exaltation.

 

But, by early Christmas morning, Petra was crying and could not get comfortable.  Should we end her suffering quickly or take her out in the fresh air?  Of course, you know what we decided to do.  With great care, we set her by the lily pond and the pine trees.  The birds sang to Petra, while the squirrels teased her.  Her nostrils were too weak to take in Mother Natures’ special blends of aromas so the strong Southerlies brought them directly to her.  And, as the sun rose on Christmas morn’, Petra settled down getting ready for ‘The Big Journey’.  Mom lit a candle for her to help guide her to the Light.  By early afternoon, she lost consciousness, but Petra’s body was totally relaxed.  My Sweetheart began her journey to ‘The Rainbow Bridge’ about 1:50 PM to join her sister (Schätze) and her mother, Bundy.  Although we weep deeply and miss her terribly, we are happy she chose Christmas day.  After all, Petra was a very smart one and had a life full of Unconditional Love.  The peace of her Soul before she left reminds me of the ‘Peace on Earth’ on the first Christmas many eons ago.