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For many of us with dogs, we’ve already known the unbearable sense of loss when faced with the passing of a pup. For others who are sharing their love with their first dog, the sorrow is too painful to even contemplate. Perhaps it was the weight of grief that drove an anonymous poet to pen The Rainbow Bridge, a prose poem written in the 1980s to help all of us manage the unmanageable—to see in words what we know in our hearts.
The Beginning Of The Rainbow Bridge
Just where the idea of the Rainbow Bridge comes from is not fully understood. Some believe the idea came from the Norse legend of Bifrost, described as the Rainbow Bridge connecting the world of the gods to the world of humanity. In this interpretation, the Rainbow Bridge connects this world to the next—a rich, green meadow where a dog can roam content, healthy, and free.
The origins behind this piece of prose aren’t well known. Since the poem began spreading among pet circles in the 1980s, at least three men have taken credit for penning it. Paul Dahm, a grief counselor in Oregon, was said to have written it in 1981. William Britton wrote and published Legend of Rainbow Bridge in 1994. Wallace Sife, head of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, also authored a similar piece titled All Pets Go to Heaven. Whoever the author may be, the person gave words to the place we long to know about—the place where our families are reunited.
Sharing Our Life. And Our Love.
Dogs aren’t called our “best friends” because they are passive observers in our lives. They are companions, sounding boards, emotional support providers, partners in crime, nap buddies, dinner dates, and loyal greeters at the door. A dog’s love is pure and unending. Unconditional. When we lose them, the void is massive.
Related: Looking for a Rainbow Bridge memorial gift?
No two people grieve the same way. The process is personal and unique to each individual. However, this poem has been passed among animal lovers for decades because it resonates deeply. The Rainbow Bridge offers comfort—a place of peace and serenity where our beloved pets are cared for when we no longer can.
The Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge…
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills where they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
If you can’t have your dog by your side in this life, what would you dream for your beloved pet? The Rainbow Bridge is where your dog has been restored to the effervescent and vivacious animal in the prime of her life. There is no pain. No suffering. There is peace after a life well-lived.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
Yet, they wait.
Because they miss someone special—you.
Together Again. Over The Rainbow Bridge.
When the pain of losing your dog overwhelms your days, The Rainbow Bridge poem offers a vision of reunion, peace, and joy. It paints a picture that helps us visualize where our dog has gone when we are no longer able to care for him. Playing with other pups with no restraints of illness or age to restrict him.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
And as the poem comes to a close, you are taken to the most powerful place. You are shown the most joyous moment when you and your pup are brought back together after being apart.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…
Honoring Their Memory with Love
For those seeking to hold onto their pet’s memory in a beautiful and tangible way, GetUrns offers a compassionate collection of cremation urns and keepsakes, including the Rainbow Bridge Pet Cremation Urn. Crafted with care and dignity, it serves as a lasting tribute to a life filled with unconditional love.
As a heartfelt thank-you to the iHeartDogs community, GetUrns is offering 15% off any pet urn, keepsake, or cremation jewelry. Use code IHD15 at checkout to honor your best friend’s memory with beauty and grace.
(h/t: Rainbow Bridge, Washington Post, Psychology Today)
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