Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Memorialized


We found one of the blue jay's babies on the ground under the nest. She was breathing but barely. I wrapped her in a napkin and set her in an old Christmas card box and Jeff drove to the emergency vet that's open on Sunday. They told him that they only treat dogs and cats and gave him some other numbers and addresses to try. As Jeff drove around making calls, he watched the little bird in the box. Her eyes were closed. Soon he could tell she had stopped breathing. He drove her back home.

We still hadn't scattered Pearl's ashes and I had been keeping Stella's ashes in a little silver box for the last ten years, never really ready to deal with whatever comes next. Finally, something about the little jay's passing made this the right time. At Bob's request, we would be having a memorial service for the baby bird. We let him know that at the same time we would be scattering some "special memory dirt" to remember the other pets.

We picked a spot under the yellow rose bush on the side of the house for the burial and Jeff's dug a hole. He said the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer of mourning. He lit the Rainbow Bridge candle the vet gave us when Pearl died. Bob and I decorated the tiny grave. "I know that the little bird never got to fly on earth but I hope she'll fly now. I miss Stella and Pearl everyday," I said.

"Bob? Do you want to say anything?" Jeff said.

"Yeah. That candle smells like gummy fruit snacks."

"Amen, everyone."

9 comments:

  1. A rainbow bridge candle that smells like gummy fruit snacks is a great way to remember your pets. ;)

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  2. Dear Stella with ears of velvet and Pearl with eyes of gold.
    You are gone but never forgotten.

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  3. Full circle that came just by chance. The closure of your sweet pets, so missed, the thought of a baby bird unable to spread it's wings on this earth...the lessons we teach our children are grasped even in the smells of a candle. How we deal with loss for each of us is what it is...gummy fruit snack smell and all.

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  4. Beautiful people.

    We bury our animals in one spot in the back. Yesterdy Mr. Curry showed me how the tree there is flourishing and everything else is dead in our yard. I had been thinking of writing about it.

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  5. Oh, goodness.

    the little pawprint..

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  6. Shouldn't they give you a candle that smells like bacon or liver snacks? I mean, really.

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  7. I miss Stella every day. I can't quite believe Miss Pearl is gone. But as the tears roll down my cheeks I remember their sweetness. Stella helped me through some very rough times. I will miss them. Forever.


    xoxo

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  8. Aw boy, that got me. And reminded me we've got a mosaic stone kit bought for the express purpose of memorializing our cat, Tru, who deserves to have her stone. That little bird somehow whispered in my ear too.

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