This is the story of me and my soul dog. An experience showing me that we never really separate from our pets.
When I was in the fifth grade, my parents surprised me and my brothers by bringing home this adorable little cocker spaniel. We named her Maggie and she just fit right into our home. However, there was a bond I shared with Maggie that no one else in the family had. She always stayed by my side. Maggie truly was my perfect companion.
I would ride my bike to the lake and she would follow right next to me. She always waited outside my bedroom door for me to wake up. Some mornings when feeling impatient, she’d hop up on the bed and lay her face right in front of mine and just wait. I’d always find a way to include her as “my subject” for any classroom projects so I could bring her to school with me.
After I had graduated high school, Maggie got suddenly sick with a very rare infection. She started getting these pockets of infection all over her little body. Unfortunately, it was very quick and she passed suddenly at the young age of 8. To say this was absolutely crushing would be an understatement. I can hardly write this without tears coming to my eyes even 15 years later.
Since then, we’ve had other pets, but there was no animal connection that even compared to this bond I had with Maggie. I felt a hole in my heart and it seemed impossible to repair. Over the years, I have had very vivid dreams. I would be reunited with Maggie and we would be doing the same old things we used to in life. I would be riding my bike with her by my side. She would be on my lap just taking a nap. Waking up from these dreams was always hard because they felt so real and comforting.
Fast forward 12+ years. I got married, moved states, and was just in a completely new stage of life. My husband and I wanted to adopt a dog, but had a hard time making the jump because of our busy work schedules. After a year of discussing this, I stumbled upon this profile online of this little cockapoo who was dumped at the shelter and needed a home. She was perfect. This little puppy was exactly what I had in mind. I turned the computer screen and said to my husband, “This is her.” We called the adoption facility and said they had inquiries all day about her and most likely she would be gone by the end of the day. There was no way we could get there in time before close. We called back 5 minutes before closing time and by some miracle she was still there.
Since I had to work, I sent my husband in the morning to go get her. He arrived 15 minutes before opening to make sure no one else could snag her. As he was filling out the paperwork, the lady asked if we had a name so she could make her tag. Confident in her name, he said Charlie. The woman looked at him and said, “Well that’s strange. I had a dream last night there was a young man who looked like you was waiting outside the shop. He said he was here to pick up Charlie.” Amazing, right? However, this is not where the story is going.
The first time I picked up Charlie, there was something in my heart that felt so whole again. I knew instinctively that I would share a close bond with this furry little creature. As time went on, I couldn’t help but feel how similar she was to my childhood dog, Maggie. Everything about her felt familiar. The connection, her personality, behavior, and how she bonded with me so quickly. After this one dream I had, all my dreams with Maggie stopped. I dreamt I was back at my childhood home. It was at night and I was trying to call for Charlie, but only Maggie would come out. As I was yelling her name, Maggie comes running out of the dark and transformed into Charlie. I was ecstatic and exclaimed “I knew you would find me again!” This dream solidified to me that this was her soul and she found her way back to me earth-side.
When Charlie was 2, she had this sudden health issue that we just couldn’t resolve. I resorted to some less than mainstream and holistic approaches to understand what this health issue was about. I posted in a spiritual group I belong to on Facebook, asking if anyone could give me any ideas about what was going on. Almost immediately, a women responded with “Oh look at that, she found her way back to you.” Then a second person commented on how we have been with each other for a very long time. It sent chills up my spine because I knew it was true. Later on, I was working with my spiritual coach and asked her if she could validate if Charlie was indeed my childhood dog. I got a very strong and confident “Yes.”
Charlie in all aspects is my true animal soul companion. We have such an indescribable loving bond between us. After years of heartbreak when she left me as Maggie, this experience has taught me how our loved ones, even our animals, never really do leave us. I certainly have some things to work on because I’d be lying if I said I haven’t cried multiple times at the thought of Charlie passing one day. However, it has been such a comfort and miracle knowing that my soul animal found her way back to me. We are forever bonded and know that I will never really “lose” her again. She is always with me.
–Mackenzie Flick