What Animals Want Us to Know: Death is Definitely Nothing to Fear
At BrightHaven, we feel privileged to have provided animal hospice care for and shared the dying experience with over 600 animals who taught us so much. And they showed us time and time again that death is definitely nothing to fear!
while I slept. One morning I woke up with the following insight: Fear of death occurs when a sacred spiritual, soulful event is viewed only with ego-based eyes…
I’m not sure I had previously thought of death so clearly or exactly in this way. I found these words to be very reassuring.
I immediately shared my perspective with BrightHaven President & Founder Gail Pope. She replied, “As I ingest your words, I realize that animals have taught me this, and over the years my actual fear of death itself has mostly diminished. And now my focus is mostly based around comfort for the transitioning soul and sorrow for the parting.”
And that’s why at BrightHaven, it is all about living well – and fully – through the last breath!
How Animals Helped Us Release Our Fears About Death and Dying
As you can imagine, we’ve had a lot of experience around death and dying with animals. Here are few of the lessons that came our way and beliefs we formed over the years. They all have helped us to understand that death is nothing to fear:- Animals are innately in tune with the seasons, rhythms and cycles of Mother Nature, including birth and death. In other words, impermanence. Perhaps that’s why they appear to not fear dying as we humans often do—they accept it as simply a normal part of the circle of life.
- We are all spiritual beings living a physical existence, and our body is the vehicle that allows our soul and spirit to navigate this lifetime, after which we will step out.
- To care for, love and appreciate the fur-body (the vehicle), while all the while developing a conscious understanding and connection to the actual timeless and immortal being within, turns out to be one of the most precious gifts we can receive.
- A being is fully alive until they die and must be treated accordingly. It’s important to help them feel as balanced, comfortable and at peace as possible, and surrounded by love, honor and respect.
- Death is not the end. This life is simply part of a longer, perhaps never-ending trajectory. We are all a part of all there is… and all beings are on similar journeys.
- We have faith that all is well as it is in this moment, and that everything is unfolding perfectly for the highest good of all concerned.
Another Comforting Spiritual Perspective
The content for this blog post had been percolating in my mind for a while, apparently even while I slept. One morning I woke up with the following insight: Fear of death occurs when a sacred spiritual, soulful event is viewed only with ego-based eyes…
I’m not sure I had previously thought of death so clearly or exactly in this way. I found these words to be very reassuring.
I immediately shared my perspective with BrightHaven President & Founder Gail Pope. She replied, “As I ingest your words, I realize that animals have taught me this, and over the years my actual fear of death itself has mostly diminished. And now my focus is mostly based around comfort for the transitioning soul and sorrow for the parting.”
And that’s why at BrightHaven, it is all about living well – and fully – through the last breath!
Fear of death occurs when a sacred spiritual, soulful event is viewed only with ego-based eyes… —Carol Howe HulseWe recognize that spiritual beliefs, definitions and needs are unique to each and every person. And there are many different opinions and approaches regarding these sensitive issues. We honor and respect individual choice. We invite you to discover and define your own beliefs around life, death and spirituality, which in turn may bring comfort and help to reduce any worries surrounding growing older and dying. In addition, we’ve found that understanding one’s beliefs is an important part of any decision-making process, including when considering your animal’s (or your own) health situation.