Rainbows

Recently, I lost my little Yorkshire Terrier, Alvin. He was tiny, weighing only 3 lbs. He was over 13 years old and had been slowly declining. He didn't have any teeth any longer, no hearing or sight. I suspect he was also getting senile. He would scrabble around in the night, getting in the shower, or under the bed, and stuck in unimaginable places. I would have to get up in the middle of the night, rescue him, and put him back to bed. Then he didn't seem to like his own bed any longer. He would sleep in the other dogs beds, forcing them to sleep in his. His last night with us he was in a panic, breathing hard and running fast. I couldn't get him to settle down. I think he had a stroke. He passed away the next afternoon in my arms. He is buried in the backyard under the mesquite trees. He never complained. My cousin comforted me with these words, "That's why they can love so freely." It is monsoon season, with thunderstorms every afternoon or evening. I was hoping to see a rainbow for Alvin. A day later as we were shopping in town, my friend called to say that there was a huge rainbow that looked like it was right above my house. I ran out of the store and there it was, not only the one huge one, but a smaller, fainter one next to it. My husband and I both cried. Rainbows are said to be God's promise. Alvin's rainbow was a sign to me that he was at peace. I think grandchildren are like rainbows. They brighten our lives, and bring us joy. They are a promise that life continues through them. We will not be forgotten. They carry a part of us in them.