Henry

One of my precious animal clients is getting ready to make his transition, and as usual, it brings up a mixture of emotions . . . sadness that he is leaving, empathy for his family and amazement at the beauty and wisdom of animals, especially at this stage of their process.

Henry is a precious boy, a dalmatian who is reaching the end of his beautiful life. I have had the honor of working with him over the last year, been touched to witness his depth of spirit and his love for his family, especially his mom.

Henry has a little human brother, and one of the things that always touched me was how Henry liked to do everything his brother did. Many of Henry's request had to do with sharing experiences with him, such as wanting to join them when they read stories at bedtime or having bites of whatever food his mom was feeding his brother. This summer when they were trying to decide on where they would go for some day trips, Henry told me that he wanted to witness some of his little brother's "firsts" . . . to be there to witness the first time his brother went to certain places or saw certain things. He was so precious, I would often tear up when I would pass along his messages, because they touched my heart so much.

I have been seeing more of Henry lately, as he gets ready to make his transition, both from a healing standing point, giving him reiki treatments to ensure he is comfortable, and as a communicator, helping to ensure the lines of communication are opened between he and his mom. He expressed a desire to go on his own, when he was ready (because he felt he still had some things to do here) and his mom was committed to honoring that.

In the last month or so, she was feeling concerned about an upcoming week long business trip that she had to take this month. We talked to Henry about it a lot. At first, he thought he would probably pass before she left for her trip, but as it got closer to her departure date, he felt that he needed to stay until she returned, because he hadn't finished what he had come here to do. We agreed that I would go see Henry while she was gone, to give him a reiki treatment and keep the lines of communication opened.

When I arrived at their house this past week, I sat down on the floor next to Henry and put my hands on him. I was initially shocked to feel how cold his body was, but I have learned over the years that when the body is starting to shut down, the body temperature goes down and it is usually a sign that an animal is getting close to making their transition.

I talked to Henry about that and asked him if he was OK with going soon, and he told me that he really wanted to stay a little longer, he really wanted to see his mom again. I talked to him about how many more days that would be (how many more sunsets and how many more sunrises until she returned) and he told me he wanted to try to make it until then. At that point, I could feel him begin to soak up the energy, the energy was literally pumping through my hands. He was determined to pull as much energy as he could, to make it until the weekend.

At one point, Henry told me that he needed me to pass along a message for his mom, just in case he didn't make it until she returned. I sat there, tears streaming down my face, as he told me of the love and respect that he has for his mom, how he would always be watching over her, always making sure she was ok. It is hard to describe sometimes, the deep soul-touching communication I am privileged to receive and pass on, the way it resonates in my body as "truth" and the way it touches me so deeply. It is impossible not to feel overwhelmed with emotion and to be in awe of the depth these spiritual creatures have. I promised him that I would pass his message along, even though I hoped he would be able to deliver it himself when his mom returned.

I was pleased to find that Henry's body temperature had gone back up by the end of the treatment. I knew there was a good chance he would still be here on the weekend when his mom returned. It's hard to explain how moved I was by his love, devotion and determination. As promised, I sent an email to his mom when I got back home. She called me that night from Boston to tell me she received my email, and to also tell me that she wrote Henry a love letter after reading my email. The love between them is so beautiful, so deep, so pure . . .

Henry's mom arrived home on Saturday, and Henry was able to achieve his goal of still being here when she returned. They have had a sweet weekend, getting the opportunity to be together, to share their love and devotion to one another, as they get ready for this next step in their journey together. His mom told me how they have all come together as a family, to share their love with Henry, each spending tender moments with their special boy. I know Henry's heart is full and that he will feel at peace when he makes his transition.

For me, I feel blessed to have known this sweet boy and his wonderful family, grateful that I was able to witness the depth of their love for one another and to see once again, how profound and spiritual our relationships with animals can be. In honor of Henry's mom, I offer some lyrics from a subdudes song called Carved in Stone, as they seem fitting at this time. I can imagine them being the perfect message to Henry.

Hold on tight to the things you always taught us
Speak out loud about faith, hope, love and trust
Carry on and have yourself a lovely ride
Think of me when you finally reach the other side