Hope Renewed

Transcript:

It's morning time here in our little town outside Timișoara, Romania.

The neighborhood is starting to wake up. Just a few moments ago, it was very quiet, very still. Just really heard the birds flying overhead. And even now, the dusk has turned into–the dawn has turned into morning. It's daytime. It's like the earth is waking up. And you probably hear the dog in the background, our neighbor dog.

But I was reflecting on--actually, most of this morning I just was being still and just noticing the sounds of the earth, the world. Almost hear the crunch of the blades of grass or the sprinklers next door. And I was thinking about Isla and just how yesterday we took the other pups for a walk.

We were going through this kind of open field behind the neighborhood. We take them there a lot and Isla has come with us. I was actually thinking of her as I was walking Deacon, our Scotty. Ahead of the others. And I was actually thinking of Isla. And when I looked up, suddenly there was this really beautiful husky just running through the field in the distance.

 We kind of headed back the other way just to make sure to be safe for the other pups. But I just really felt like that was her--not her, but just her sending a message that she's there. She knows that I'm thinking about her and that she's running free like that husky was.

And I just pray that he or she has found her way home. She doesn't look like a stray at all. And huskies, of course, are Notorious for being great escape artists. So, but that right after a dream that I had a few days ago was Isla. Just, it's all part of her comforting me, I would say. In the dream it was simple.

I just saw her like out through a window or a door. And she was just laying down on the ground next to Deacon. And And she just looked up at me and kind of smiled like it would have been on any day that we spent together. And it was just her telling me that all is well and I'm just so blessed and that she was part of my life and part of our lives.

And this morning, it also made me think about my grandfather who passed years ago, maybe 20 years ago or more now. But I just remembered the last time that I saw him, he was moving from the West coast to the East coast to stay with my uncle. And the last time I saw him, I remember how firmly and specifically he just gave me this hug. Like he knew this was the last time he would see me.

And I knew it was the last time I would see him, but I also knew it wouldn't be. And I think even then I knew that it's kind of like what I feel now. He's not physically here anymore, but I still know that it's not the end of our connection and that I will see him again along with Isla, my grandmother, my other grandparents, my grandparents, good friends, any loved ones that have passed. 

And it's interesting that my grandfather is being brought up; when I first moved to Scotland, when I studied there for a year, one of the first weeks that I was there, I remember walking through the Botanic Garden in Glasgow, and I was waiting to cross the street. And this man was walking towards me, this older man, Scottish, but I just knew it was my grandfather.

And he was walking by basically saying, you're okay. And you've got this. Because prior to that, I really felt the presence of both of my grandparents very much. So, in that moment it just felt like it was him, the essence of him. Of course it wasn't, it was a Scottish man and my grandfather was Chinese, but I just felt like he was saying, you're going to be okay. And that they were moving forward and waiting for me on the other side. And so after that moment of passing, the fleeting moment passing that man in the street, I did feel overall that that they had moved on into the next realm, into heaven.

And I'm also just thinking how it's interesting how loss and grief kind of brings up these different aspects and different elements of loss that we've had over the years. And with every new loss, it's different, it's fresh, and it's also old. It's familiar, or...it's similar. So, those are just my thoughts this morning. 

As we open up to a new day, and as this new day dawns, I'm just reminded of that message that my grandfather said. That it's okay to move forward. So I am sharing that message to anyone who comes across this, who just needs to hear that, that it's, you have this life ahead of you and it's, it's okay to move forward.

So just sending love and blessings to all of you, to all of your animals and neighborhoods. Just blessings to you all.