Dogs are known to be man’s best friend and that was certainly true in the case of Roxy. This gorgeous golden retriever touched so many lives in my family that even though she lived at one house with my parents, the rest of us couldn’t help but have the same deep connection with her that we would have had if we saw her every day. She brought so much joy to the hearts of anyone who came in contact with her—and I was certainly no exception. Needless to say, it touched my heart when I heard that Roxy decided to leave this planet over the weekend.
What struck me most was that I was moved not by the loss, but for the celebration of her life. From my perspective, this ten year old never stopped looking like a puppy and she always seemed to have a smile on her face. Her cheerful demeanor as well as her perfectly trimmed ears helped to maintain her youthful appearance. I suppose she was so beautiful on the outside, because she was so beautiful on the inside.
I spent many hours and days taking long walks with her. If we were in the same room together I would be hard pressed to stop petting her or playing catch or tug of war with her. And yes, I occasionally slipped her her favorite treat—an apple slice that she gobbled up with unabashed delight. It was a pleasure giving her as much love as I possibly could.
Even with all we had gone through together, after living in Europe for two years, I thought that Roxy might have forgotten me, but as I entered the house, I was nicely surprised to see that she waited for my approach at the top of the stairs with her wagging tail in tow. She followed me to the guest room and slept next to me on the floor as though the lapse in our meeting together never occurred. For her, time had no meaning. I was simply her friend who was here again and she was happy to see me.
In fact, as I reminisced about her this morning while out on my walk, I remembered how the only time I would ever see her in a crazed mood was if another dog barked at her first. She was friendly to friends, but if another dog acted aggressively, she would hold her own. Barking back, she would try her hardest to be released from the leash to meet her adversary face to face. Alas, the dramatic moment would be over as soon as the dogs passed each other. It never ceased to amaze me how Roxy was able to live fully in the moment, never burdened with the past. She had already achieved what I have to constantly work at and I admire her deeply for being my role model.
Roxy and I never spent time on petty bickering. For us there was nothing but love. My relationship with her represented what Spiritual Love is all about. We truly saw each other as the Divine Being that we both are—without any flaws that the egoic mind so often invents in its imagination. Perhaps now I will think twice when get angry at someone for some trivial thing, remembering that we are all part of the same Divine Source that flows throughout the Universe.
So, now as I celebrate her life on Earth, I reflect on how when I was younger I used to wail when a loved one passed away. Tears of sadness rolled down my face and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for myself for the loss. However, now I see things a little differently. Instead of tears of sadness, I have tears of joy for a life well lived. Today I recognize that we are all eternal beings living in various dimensions and that this one reality we are viscerally experiencing is just that—one reality. Roxy the dog and everyone else who has left their temporarily borrowed bodies are still with us. They are simply on a different plane of existence.
With that in mind, I think of the French term au revoir. It doesn’t actually mean goodbye. Instead, it roughly translates as until we meet again. So, until we meet again, I thank you Roxy for being a part of my life. Instead of focusing on the last moments before death, I choose to celebrate the ten years you were here. So many beautiful moments you gave to me will always be cherished and I am grateful that you were my teacher and my friend.
Au revoir, my sweet.
Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)
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