In comments yesterday related to my 4 Ghost Stories article, I mentioned people receiving "visits" from their deceased pets. Shortly after I commented, I visited my acupuncturist, Elle, whose rescued 6-year-old greyhound, Billy, died several months ago. I hadn’t been in acupuncture treatment for a long time, but apparently, over the past few years, Billy had always greeted patients at the Clinic. Elle said she missed him greatly, as he was her loyal companion; he was a great hit with the patients.
I am not a great fan of acupuncture when it comes to the process, but I am a true believer in the tremendous pain relief a treatment can bring you. I waited patiently for Elle to call me back for my appointment. She was uncharacteristically 20 minutes late. While we began prepararing for my treatment, she apologized for her delay. She said the patient immediately before me had told her she had "seen" Billy in a vision while she was having her acupuncture. She said Billy was wearing an elf hat, but she was sure it was Billy. Elle was quite overcome; she said she and her patient discussed the vision for several minutes, which was why she ran late in treating me. The patient who saw Billy, in her vision, was a regular patient who had known Billy for quite some time.
I congratulated Elle on learning Billy, through her patient, wanted to let her know he was fine and that he was still around her at the clinic. That was great comfort, she said. It also was quite a coincidence, I said, because only one hour earlier, I had written about people receiving ‘visits’ from their dead pets. I said I would write about that if I learned more. "That is a synchronicity," (an unusual, startling coincidence), I said.
Later, after Elle left the treatment room, I spent 30 minutes, in the near dark, with needles in many places, trying to meditate and relax. Thirty-minutes can seem like a long time in acupuncture, at least for me. I thought about Billy - and I saw a cartoon version of him dancing - sort of like Fred Astaire. No elf, just a song & dance dog. My imagination was working overtime, trying to see if I could also receive a visit from Elle’s dog. I didn’t force the vision - I just let it float in my mind.
When Elle, at last came in to remove the needles, I hesitated about telling her about my vision of Billy. But I decided to go for it, because it was so silly; maybe it could make her laugh. Silly Billy, I thought. When I told her what I’d seen, she paused for a moment, and then said, "Billy was a great dancer. He only danced for me. If I had to go out, when I came home, he always danced when I came in - like a football player who caught the ball in the end zone. He went up on his hind legs: an 80-pound greyhound, dancing around. My kids tried to get him to dance, but he never would. So, yes, your vision of Billy dancing is overwhelming and accurate…."
I tell this story because it is unlike the stories I usually relate about my "paranormal" experiences. Spirits rarely come by me; my own dear, late dogs, Mozart and Buster, have yet to contact me from beyond. But since I had just been in conversation about pets "in spirit," and since Elle’s patient before me had first "seen" Billy, I knew he was "present" in the clinic yesterday. I call this experience an active "energy memory" because I can’t explain it otherwise. Here is one additional thought:
Love is such a powerful emotion, it can cross barriers, boundaries, time and space. Such is the story of Billy the Greyhound.
photo credit: wikipedia
