An Angel from the First Day I Met Her
I adopted my sweet Ellie, a Golden Retriever-Terrier mix, from a local shelter. They said she was found by the side of a road in eastern Colorado. I wondered if she was lost and somebody was looking for her. My teacher overheard me mentioning this to a friend and gave me Terri’s name, suggesting she was someone who could communicate with animals and help me know Ellie’s story.
Soon after, I scheduled a call with Terri. Not knowing what to expect since I had never done anything like this before, I was completely astounded within the first few minutes of our conversation. Terri told me that my sweet baby had been dumped along a highway in eastern Colorado in the middle of the night. At that moment, I knew this was “real” – that Terri truly had a connection with my Ellie.
Over the years that I was lucky enough to have my Ellie with me, I had several consultations with Terri. The connection Terri had with Ellie was absolutely amazing. She described how “sweet” Ellie’s energy came through. And, she certainly was a very sweet dog! She was also wise, funny, gentle, bossy, intelligent and “Zen”. All of these other parts of her personality came through during my conversations with Terri and Ellie as well. Whether I was calling about her tummy troubles, her arthritis, an infection, being scared of the dark and rain, or simply to check in with her, Terri’s ability to communicate with Ellie helped tremendously.
When I would look into my sweet dog’s eyes, I felt like I just knew her. I felt like we got each other, down to the very deepest part of our souls. She was my best friend, my comfort, my touchstone. And, I hope I was all that for her. Throughout our years together, I learned so much from Ellie.
I tend to worry a lot. Through her “Zen” spirit, Ellie taught me that life really is too short to worry. Her motto was “worrying doesn’t help anyone, all is as it should be, and everything will work out in the end”.
Also, I have a tendency to feel like I should always be accomplishing something, crossing things off my to-do list. Ellie taught me the magic of what it means to just be still, both physically and internally. We would go to our mountain cabin, put our feet (her four and my two) into the water of the creek, and experience pure joy and peace. She truly taught me so many things about myself and the ways of the world.
She and I would sit in what I called our “spa spot” for endless periods of time. Ellie showed me how to become still enough to listen to the beautiful song birds and also the multitude of sounds of the water. We would watch all that surrounded us… bugs, butterflies, birds, and more. Being soothed by the sights and sounds of nature was our favorite thing to do together.
Most importantly, I learned the true meaning of total and complete unconditional love from my sweet angel. To love someone so much that your heart aches, feeling like it might explode from the joy and happiness you feel when you are together, is to me – your soul-mate.
Toward the end of Ellie’s long life, I became very unsettled. It is so difficult to prepare for losing your beloved companion. While it is not Terri’s job to tell us when it is time to let go of our precious friends, she helped me understand how Ellie was feeling as her journey unfolded. This invaluable help allowed me to work through this difficult stage of life and know when it felt right to help Ellie transition to the other side.
While I miss my sweet girl every single day, I continue our loving connection through Terri and in ways of my own. These communications offer me continued healing and bring me a sense of deep peace. I know Ellie’s spirit lives on. And, I know she is experiencing much joy and love. I trust she is 100% “ok”. Ellie is so much more than her doggie body. She is a very special soul who will continue to help others. She will bless them as she blessed me. Without a doubt, she is an angel.
-Carrie Stern, Denver, CO