Have you ever considered who in your life really loves you? Who loves and appreciates you for exactly who you are, with NO conditions and NO strings attached? Can you think of anyone? Many of us can think of a few people who at least partially fit this description, and yet not fully. Most love is conditional and attachable. It can be fleeting and unpredictable. Conditional love isn’t true love….at least not in the divine sense. It’s not the Oneness-based, connected kind of love, and it’s usually attached to outcomes. The ego gets its footing by navigating and judging those outcomes. Unconditional love is not attached to outcomes or conditions. It does not judge; it simply IS. Have you ever experienced this kind of love?

I had an experience recently that helped me put the concept of love back into a divine perspective. It was through my beloved dog, Wags. Dogs have a way of loving unconditionally like no other beings can. Have you ever considered the magnitude of what they give? There are no strings attached. They love their owners no matter what, forever and ever. They smile at you, stare at you, and will do anything for you. Their purpose is to bring you happiness and joy and they will do it all the days of their life. My dog, Wags, was the perfect example. She was a social dog and loved people. She had a magical way of lifting people up and bringing smiles to their faces. She was beautiful inside and out, and she would do anything for our family; always holding the vibration of unconditional love.

Wags was a part of our family for 10+ years. She entered our lives at a vulnerable time and she was the perfect addition. We had been waiting to get a family dog and the time had come in 2006 in North Carolina. We had just moved from California and my oldest son was chronically ill. He had lost his zeal for life and could barely function.  He needed a devoted pal, so it was time to seek out our beloved pet. We found Wags at a pet adoption event. I walked into the store and it was love at first sight.  I knew she was the one and I could feel it all over! She was three years old and she was the most perfect dog in every way.  I didn’t see any flaws (even if she had some); I just saw love and beauty.

Wags became a therapy dog for my son, Michael. He needed to feel loved and important. Wags gave him an important job to do—he took her for walks, fed her, brushed her, and took her to bed at night. Wags was so happy to be the object of fondness and appreciation. She was a significant part of Michael’s healing process throughout the year. With each passing night she became more a part of us. We had some fun adventures! Over the years, Wags taught our family many things. To my youngest son, she taught him patience, gentleness, and kindness. He would often have an unpleasant mood swing because he didn’t understand his role in the world; he gave Wags some opportunities to be forgiving. She was really good at it! It was an ongoing learning experience for him—how to treat an animal with kindness and respect– and Wags volunteered happily to be the demo dog.

My husband had his special moments with Wags, too. He would come home from a very stressful day at work and Wags would greet him at the door. She would jump up on him with excitement and enthusiasm, tail wagging and smiles on her face. He appreciated the recognition that he was an important person. Many of his days were filled with exhaustion, confusion, and doubt and Wags was there for support. For myself, Wags was my special buddy, my heart’s companion.  I knew there was something really, really special about her. I took her for walks many a day and cuddled with her on the floor. A day didn’t go by where I didn’t say “Thank you Wags.” I had deep fondness and appreciation to her, for showing up in my family’s life.  That magical day at the pet store…. it was definitely FATE.  Wags and I had unspoken stares back and forth to each other. It was as if to say, “Hey, I know you!”   It was a telepathic connection of soul companions.  Well, one day it dawned on me.

We were in our new home in Fate, TX and Wags would come up to the kitchen several times a day, just to stare at me. There was a deep fondness in her stare. I would stare back. After many weeks of this, I suddenly realized who she was. “She has the soul of my childhood dog… Oh my gosh, she is Buttercup!!!”  Tears of gratitude ran down my face because I knew it in my heart of hearts it was her. My special dog from my youth, BUTTERCUP.  My soul companion, my best friend! She’d stood by my side through thick and thin: when I was heartbroken, when I was sad, when I was empty, when I was mad. Always there to comfort me and console me, even when I wanted to give up on life.  Always knew what I needed.  She helped me give voice to my feelings.  I lost her when she was 13yrs and my heart never quite healed. The longing for my dog continued and I often had dreams about her. My “new” dog, Wags, brought her back to me!  I was ELATED with excitement and joy.

I felt deep gratitude to Wags for months. It was her fate was to follow us to Fate, TX! She appeared to help me heal my past. She was to mirror the divine back to me….to show me that I was the Divine. I had to put her down – as Buttercup – due to kidney failure, and I never recovered.  The condition popped up suddenly and I didn’t want her to suffer. I was only 19 yrs. old and heartbroken. I paid her vet bills to try to save her and it was a lot of money for a college student, yet she was my best friend.  She didn’t recover, and the inevitable happened. A part of me was always missing and I carried the pain for years. It was the pain of GUILT, for not spending enough quality time with her in her final months.  I was a busy college student struggling to go to school full time and work to pay the bills.  There was just no time left for Buttercup. I did what I could and it never felt like enough. Slowly, Buttercup slipped away. I didn’t realize the magnitude until it was too late.  She was always there when I needed her most; however, I wasn’t there for her when she needed me (that’s how I perceived it), so I carried this guilt for decades. When Wags showed up and revealed herself as Buttercup, I knew she came here to help me heal. She loved me so much to do this! She reminded me that everything was OK. She helped me accept what I did. She showed me that I was the divine and everything was perfect. She imparted a beautiful message that I did a wonderful job as her owner. She’s a dog with so much unconditional love and resolve, as Buttercup and as Wags. She was a teacher and a healer. ?

Wags continued as a loyal companion.  An event happened recently that reminded me of how special she was! It’s the unimaginable day when your pet has puzzling symptoms that take you to the ER. She was out of sorts that weekend and progressively got worse. Her symptoms declined and turned into multiple seizures. It was scary (to the ego). We had to come to terms with the possibility that it might be her time. All sorts of feelings and memories came popping up and we had to deal with them. We were given an opportunity to share more love and gratitude to Wags…for ALL of the wonderful things she has done for us. We thanked her for always caring, always loving, always being by our side.  This was our moment to really share our hearts and to say all of the things we wanted to say over the years.  It was tough and it was necessary.  Fortunately, Wags wasn’t ready to go yet and she was showing us once again that she wouldn’t not leave our side. Through this whole ordeal, she taught us many things [there she went again, being a teacher and a healer ?].  Some of the lessons were individual and some were for the whole family.  We were motivated to do things differently. One of my personal lessons was to realize that I didn’t resolve my past guilt 100% – there was still a piece left. Time to let it go! I decided to spend quality time with my precious girl while we still had her. It felt good. Our family came together and we treated each other with more respect and courtesy, all to do with Wag’s care and treatments. We all had a voice equally and shared our feelings. We saw through Wags’ eyes of love and oneness.

Wags originally came to “save us” in a sense, by bringing love, joy, and healing to our family. In turn, we “saved” her when she was in crisis. Animals really do speak. They do feel and they do communicate! Dogs have a love so deep, a love so pure, a bond so tight. They will never leave your side until their purpose is fulfilled and they have taught you FULLY what they came here to teach.  That’s a dog’s purpose and unconditional love. ?

I am now finishing up this blog a few weeks after starting it. I put it on hold because many things changed, and I gave it time to settle. Wags taught us yet another lesson after all of that! She took a turn for the “worse” and her health declined, just two weeks after she was revived. I became concerned and took her back to the vet– he did more bloodwork and tests. I had a feeling this might be her end. She came to me in a dream and showed me 5 open doorways. She walked through each one of them to show me there was a message on the other side. She wanted me to follow her through each day — one doorway at a time. One doorway represented one day of the week. I knew I had to trust. There were no more doorways past Friday and I felt like the messages would be complete.  My gut feeling was that Wags wouldn’t be here after that and that Friday would be her last day… yet I didn’t want to believe it.

The messages she gave me were so perfect in every way.  One of them was to tell me to resolve all issues with her and deem them as complete — to do this together in a healing session (to which I did). Our time together was perfect in both lifetimes and we both did what we came here to do. Another message was given to me in the grocery store, LOL! A song came on radio and it said, “It feels so good to be home” over and over again. It was a sign that Wags was ready, confirmation.  She also told me to see everyone as she sees me….see everyone as the DIVINE. My love quotient went up 10,000 notches while in the store. A burst of love came over me and I recognized it was a gift from Wags.  It was to help me receive love and give love more freely. I had no words, I couldn’t speak. I felt SO much love for everyone in the store, no matter who they were. I looked around and just saw the DIVINE in each one. It was beautiful! A very deep, pure, authentic love, and SO deep. It was an out-of-this-world experience and it cut through many layers. Wow, it was powerful!

Yet another message came through that week and I couldn’t miss it! Wags came to me through a flying beetle.  It flew right at my head and landed in front of me, LOL!  The beetle message is resurrection and immortality.  It brings our attention to renewal, spiritual maturity, and the powerful influences of the invisible side of life.  Of course (SIGH) – there couldn’t be a more perfect message for me to prepare the way for Wags to cross over. Yes, it was her time to go home, and I finally accepted it. I can’t put words to it exactly and I had a deep knowing that all is complete.

I brought all of the messages together and they became complete as one. We had both reached our spiritual maturity and it was time for us continue on different planes. It’s no coincidence that Wags crossed over on Good Friday and we buried her the same day. She resurrected on Easter Sunday and we visited her grave. My family and I were there together and we felt endless love all around. I also felt resurrection energies…they came from Wags and from ALL of the pet/doggie souls. It was powerful and I heard the words, “It is finished.” It reminded me of the Christ. I felt a deep sense of freedom and lightness come over my body; we paid tribute to Wags and thanked her for all that she was/is.  She was showing herself from the powerful side of the invisible, through the eyes of love. We feel her presence continue with us in the house; she is always around us, never truly gone. It’s a powerful reminder to trust the invisible and to allow messages to enter our lives through the magical doorways – they’re all around us. We just need to open our eyes and open them up.  We experience the physical for just a short time.  We experience the non-physical for eternity. TRUST. Through the Eyes of Love. So long, beloved Wags.  You are home free and in my heart forever.! Home is where the heart is.  A love so pure, so complete, with no attachments. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.  Thank you for EVERYTHING! Shine on! Love you always my friend. ???

Sandy Anthony
Trinity Energy Progression Facilitator/Practitioner