Some of you will remember my lovely Welsh Springer Spaniel Ruby, who often accompanied me to Reiki Shares and was around if you came to our home for a Reiki event. Sadly, she came to the end of her life last month.
walks. She came to us at the age of 9, having been my sister’s dog. Having known her since puppyhood and always thought she was a beautiful dog, I was thrilled to take her on when she could no longer stay with my sister. I thought she might only share our lives for a year or so, but she lived for another 7 years!
Being one of those dogs who always wanted to be with you, she was good company when I was working in my office at home. She didn’t like being left alone, however, and I’m grateful to those Reiki friends who helped out looking after her when I needed to go and do treatments and classes.
She was very dear to me, so when she died, I entered a grieving process. I am grateful that I am already familiar with the process of grieving – it was my father’s sudden death that brought me to Reiki. I am therefore able to recognise the signs and understand what is happening. I have learned, through Reiki practice, that the healthiest way to go through the difficult emotions like grief is not to try to deny the feelings or pretend all is well when it isn’t.
So instead, I allowed myself to cry and was compassionate with my anger and lack of zest for life. I gave myself lots of Reiki (especially the heart area). I have also learned that when you grieve for one thing, any un-processed grief from the past can also surface for acknowledgement, so I also grieved the many losses of this past year, which I had felt deeply but pushed aside to be able to get on with life. So I cried for all the people who have died from Covid and their families, for the loss of ‘normal life’, for the sadness of not being able to teach Reiki in person, give hands on Reiki treatments, sing with other people or go on holiday to the seaside. This loss also coincided with the second-year anniversary of the time I was in Arizona with Phyllis when she was dying of cancer, so I cried some more about that too. It has felt very healing to allow these tears.
I also reached out to receive Reiki, because I knew it would comfort me and support my grieving process. I have been receiving daily Reiki distant treatments from one of my students and some days an extra one from others (you can never have too much Reiki!), which I definitely feel has helped me to move through this difficult time. I cry less now, although I still miss Ruby (and Phyllis and my students and choirs).
I know that this pandemic has caused a lot of loss, but I have learned about grief and loss that it is a natural part of human life and that when we are able to get through it, we emerge stronger, often with a deeper appreciation for life and the gifts we have, as well as gratitude for what is gone.
