Memories On the Wind

Every pet that shares our lives leaves us with memories.

In my lifetime many animals have walked with me on my path that left immeasurable impressions. Picture albums of children and pets are my favorite reminders of these memories but I cannot always take the time to sit down with an album to reflect. Our busy lives leave us with little spontaneity, so we find memorials to help fill a void. 

Trees or special plants in the yard, touching eulogies on paper, and homemade stepping stones to memorialize beloved pets, beautiful and thoughtful reminders, were things I knew others had done but I was always looking for something different.

Then one day I was shopping for a gift and a painting caught my eye which reminded me of one of my favorite dogs, Kim, a beautiful rough collie. At that moment, someone in the store softly struck a wind chime on a big display. The tones were muted and gentle and resonated a long time making me reflect even deeper on my beloved collie dog. After the person left the display, I walked over, lightly tapped the wind chime and felt her fleeting presence. She was an exceptionally loving and loyal companion. Of course, the tears welled up. I felt the ache of her loss but as the wind chime continued to sing, a flood of joyful memories became instantly vivid. Well, it didn’t take me long to purchase that wind chime and return home to put it up near my chair on the porch. It had a symbol on it which forever became her symbol.

Now when a breeze sweeps through my porch, one or more of the many chimes that adorn the beams, brings back memories of each creature that has been a part of my, and my family’s, life.