The Loss of a Loving and Much Beloved Pet

Our animal family members bring so very much to the table. They are there when virtually everyone else has gone on down the road or are simply to busy...  My furry buddy even displayed my symptoms when I experienced a Lupus flare; now that's dedication! My husband once told me that he could tell if I had had a bad day by the way Nico was moving when he (hubby) returned home from the office.

My road dog, Nico, who was my shadow for fourteen and one-half years, has been gone since April 27, 2012 (He had cancer).  I miss him so very dearly.

When I first lost Nico, a friend shared "Rainbow Bridge" with me, and I share it with you.   Perhaps it will help you as you grieve your own loss...

     Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.  There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
    "All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
    "They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
    "You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.  The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.  Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...

Is Social Media Making Us Less Social?

Read an article stating that we trust each other less. Is it any wonder? How can you trust someone with whom you have no interaction except through your web connection, which is artificial socializing?

Yes, I use Facebook and I also tweet with people from across the globe, but I know that until I can make a deeper connection, I can't even truthfully say that they are acquaintances.  I know nothing about them except what they tell me, and vice versa.  Yet, I am not an essentially distrusting person.

The article also discussed the economic gap leading to distrust. Now that might be true for some, but I wouldn't put myself in the category of distrusting another simply because she/he is higher on the economic ladder than I am. How would that help me? Will my being distrustful of a wealthier individual assist me in becoming a bit more flush? I kinda don't think so.  

Our society has become a more global one in that we can get up and go nearly anyplace that we want to, but we hang back and become mired in our own solitude at an ever increasing rate because it's easier. Dealing with other people is not always pleasant, and we are becoming a very selfish species. It probably began during the "I'm okay, you're okay" era.  Remember that time? For those who weren't born yet, the collective psyche was encouraged to be more self-accepting and more accepting of others, regardless...

So, here we are now being told that we don't trust each other. Well, you and I can decide for ourselves whether we are mistrustful beings or whether we give the other person the benefit of the doubt until we encounter a reason to distrust.

Shake a hand if you can.  

And please, share your thoughts with me. I know it's social media, but we can still dialogue; and who knows, we might actually meet someday.  Six degrees of separation is an actual reality.