Lily ... Sister Lily of Divine Healing

Great Spirit ... Dad ... Gayle ... you've got this one, right? You've got Lily, right?

I've got Kanen.

Who's got me?

Always seek the highest good.

Our incredibly amazing Lily died on Thursday morning in her sleep. I want to send thanks to everyone who has offered extra love and compassion, I want to tell some of you that I understand that you are unable to feel so deeply as you have avoided the situation. All of the LOVE that we have truly felt and will continue to feel and the healing that is surely supporting us is appreciated. It is remarkable kind. Our strength in facing this is growing and at times we have no strength at all.

I am only writing today to let you all know of this huge change in our experience.

Lily's departure was not a complete surprise to us as she had almost ended her earth walk two months ago. She was not young, growing much older each day it seemed ... giving us just a few glimpses of her playfulness here and there. Her health was depleting almost daily. Her last few months were very difficult for her and for us. She more often than not didn't even want to go places with us. The awareness of this was undeniably noticeable and it is difficult to feel the pain and sorrow in this moment in time.

The UPS man delivered bottles for some of my "magic potions" yesterday and when I opened the door I automatically reached down to place my hand at her back as I always do when someone comes to the door. She didn't come around the corner to bark. My touch on Lily's back was always more for the delivery people or clients arriving for sessions and it was always for their comfort or lack of it when facing a BIG BLACK DOG, not to hold Lily back. Lily was a lover.

Lily came into our lives after I had lost my Father and my dear friend Gayle. At the time I knew that my heart was in need of a greater healing than I could conjure up. We adopted Lily (she really adopted us however) to help keep my heart open (to help her see that her ability to LOVE was more than enough). Lily kept my heart open and then opened it more and more and more, all the way up until her last expression of love towards me on Wednesday night.

My Father passed September 5th of 2005. My friend Gayle passed August 15th of 2006. Lily passed just a day or two shy of right in the middle of those two dates. I am sensing the reason why ... I sense that she left when she did to let me know that she filled in the middle of those experiences with her love. She did fill in the middle of those two experiences with her love with more love than I could have imagined.

There is so much more that I could share ... say ... about her. She was the most amazing of all dogs, she was my familiar, my companion day in and day out. In the five years that she was with us, there wasn't a single day that she and I were not together. She was at my side always. Lily was a Spirit Being and an amazing healer, holding the most sacred of spaces during so many healing and counseling sessions, she was so often right at my side, or the side of the client in session. Lily was so strong, the deeper the emotions and the need for healing, the closer Lily came into it to support. I am not sure how I will work alone now, as she was present during so many sessions. I knew that when she would circle my healing table while clients were on it that she had determined that a specialty clearing was required for the client. I had noticed over the last few months that she was preparing for retirement.

Lily was a pure Ceremonial Leader. She was a High Priestess. Her placement in circles and ceremony was profound. If I was in meditation she would sit at my back, if there was two of us in circle she would take the third position. If there was three she would take the open direction and act as a gate keeper. If there was a large gathering ... she would find her way in if she wanted in, always with the utmost of respect. Many times she would circle the circle, setting the energy.

Lily was an integral part of our home, our family, our lives. She was a Sacred SIGNIFICANT Other and a true companion, a holder of the most unconditional love for us. We are so grateful that she blessed us with such deep and loving relationships. Our cat Violet has been deeply effected also, only drinking water from Lily's bowl now and pausing to yowl in the hallway where Lily would lay. It is wonderful in its sadness and truth.

Lily was/IS so much more than a dog. We miss her so much!

So, when you come over for a visit, when you arrive for a gathering or a class/workshop ... please hold the silent space of knowing that Lily won't be answering the door. Thank you. It will help us out a lot by not asking us where she is or what happened. It will really help us out by not asking us how we are doing ... right now we are doing what we should be doing and that is crying a lot when we forget that she isn't here. Please honor our need to grieve ... as long as it take. Lily was a constant companion and a best friend to my son and me.

It is amazing how many times I have heard her over the past few days, expected her to be in my sons room, wondered if she needed to go out, checking her water bowl, wondered how she is. Not seeing her check to see what I was doing.

We have created an altar in the front room for Lily, with our favorite picture of her there and a few sacred items to hold our hearts open for her. Lily's ashes are there too. They will remain there until we decide where to spread them, yes ... spread them at her happiest place to be ... and for Lily that place was always right by our sides, within inches preferably. She may just stay right here. When you visit, and see the altar ... please feel free to send Lily your love.

..........

Dog Medicine ~ Jamie Sams

Be loyal to yourself.
Be true to others.
Bolster your integrity.

Dog, you are so noble. Until the bitter end, your medicine is the teaching us of being a true and loyal friend.

Dog offers innate loyalty.
Dog embodies loving gentleness.
Dog is the guardian of ancient secrets.
Dog reminds us of our sense of service to others.

A tolerant Spirit dwells in the heart of every canine.

Lily was a Wolf Spirit too. Four out of five vets said that she was part wolf. My vet of 24 years had claimed that "the wolf" would be a problem. He was so wrong and I was so happy to fire him. She was always(during my childhood) with me in my dreams, she was always at my side while I turned my life into my dreams and she will always remain by my side until we meet again in the dream realm, as everything now is the dream realm.

Wolf Medicine - Jamie Sams

Wolf ... Teacher, Pathfinders, Moon-Dog of my Soul. Howling, singing, teaching how to know.

Find new paths and options.
Break through.
Be a role model.
Share your inner knowing.

..........

If you have a dog, love them twice as much today and every day.
If you don't have a dog, love another persons dog twice as much today and every day.
If you don't own a dog, consider owning a dog, they will change you for the better and we all need that, to be better and for you to be better too.
If you see a dog treated really well, thank the person who treats the dog really well.
If you see a dog treated badly, get the dog away from the bad person and report the bad person to the authorities who treats them badly.

All in all we are very grateful and very happy that Lily was such a complete part of our lives. In truth ... I have no idea what we are going to do without her.

Lily's eyes were open when she died. I believe that she was looking at her light.

Blessings, love and more,

Laurel