When my dog Vicky (photo above) passed away after almost three years by my side, I learned that despite the longing, the spirits of animals continue their evolution on the spiritual plane. She was hit by a car at three months old, went through many surgeries, but never lost her will to live, even after death.
Animals have a mission: to teach us how to live fully, with simplicity and love. When they leave, they take a piece of us with them, but they also leave behind many lessons and memories. The greatest lesson Vicky taught me was to live every second intensely, despite the hardships. When animals go, we feel an emptiness inside. However, death is not the end, because life does not end for the spirit.
Death is not the end, but a transition. Your animal still exists, he/she is just in a different plane now, where the connection between you remains alive. Right after their passing, animals are healed from all the suffering they experienced in the material world. Their spirits must then continue their own journey of evolution. They do not disappear, they simply take on a new form of existence.
Our attachment to them, however, can hold them back, making it harder for their spiritual progress. Grieving the loss of a beloved animal is one of the deepest pains we can feel. Grief can trap us in suffering, but allowing them to move on in peace is also an act of love.
That is why we must let them go, no matter how hard that feels in the beginning. Know that grief will ease with time. By accepting this transition, you strengthen the spiritual bond between you. True love is never broken, it only transforms.
They leave, but leave us with a legacy: to love without limits and to live fully. So, honor their journey with love.
So, I end this text with the following poem by an unknown author:
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sun on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.