This Sunday, October 4, is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Around this special day, many churches hold Blessing of the Animals services, where people bring their beloved animal companions to receive a blessing.
I’ve always loved that blessing tradition. Even in my book, my dedication page says: Bless the souls of the animals, for they have been faithfully watching over ours.
But this year, as I thought about St. Francis Day and the animals we love, another question came to me:
Does an animal’s blessing in our life ever really end?
Perhaps They Have Been Blessing Us All Along
We may bring our animals to be blessed, but anyone who has deeply loved an animal knows how profoundly they bless us, too.
They bring us companionship and joy. They teach us patience, trust, courage, forgiveness and unconditional love. They make us laugh. They sit beside us when our hearts are hurting. Sometimes they change the direction of our lives in ways we never could have anticipated.
And some animals touch us even more deeply.
I call these our heart animals.
A heart animal isn’t determined by how many years you shared together. You may have had an animal for decades or only a short time. When you feel that profound connection in your heart, there is no denying what the two of you share.
And the animals have communicated something important to me about these relationships.
They hope the relationship will continue and grow.
What Happens to the Blessing After They Cross?
When a heart animal leaves their physical body, we naturally grieve their physical presence. We miss touching them, seeing them, hearing them and sharing the everyday moments that made up our lives together.
But what about everything they brought into our lives?
The love doesn’t disappear. Neither do the lessons, experiences or ways they changed us.
And perhaps their blessing isn’t finished either – as blessings can go far beyond a formal blessing and possibilities that we can even fathom.
I’ve experienced this with my own heart animals in spirit. My relationships with Tara and Rain didn’t stop when their physical lives ended. They continued to communicate with me, teach me and participate in my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined while they were physically here.
Their roles changed.
Our relationships evolved.
And that is something I want more people to know is possible.
St. Francis Has Been Part of My Journey, Too
St. Francis has been one of my special guides for many years and has played an important role in my relationship and work with animals.
I’ve shared before that he helped Allison and me as the animals were teaching us what became Sacred Animal Spirit Alchemy™. He communicated some of the curriculum to us and even gave us a prayer that remains part of SASA today.
So perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised when I received another nudge from St. Francis as the Rainbow Bridge Animal Connection Card Deck was coming together.
I was shown a St. Francis medal and understood that it should be included with the deck. When I connected further with St. Francis and the animals, they thought it was a lovely idea.
So the first 100 decks will include a small St. Francis medal.
For me, the medal isn’t simply something extra tucked into the package. It represents something that has been woven through my work for many years: the sacredness of our relationships with animals and the loving spiritual support available to us as those relationships grow and change.
Honor the Blessing Your Animal Gave You
Whether your heart animal is physically beside you or has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, perhaps St. Francis weekend is an opportunity to honor the blessing they have brought into your life.
Find a quiet moment and think about your animal. You might ask yourself:
- How has loving this animal changed me?
- What did they awaken or strengthen within me?
- What part of their presence still lives within my life today?
- If they are in spirit, how might I allow our relationship to continue growing?
You don’t need to receive an intuitive answer. Simply let yourself remember, feel and honor what the relationship has meant to you.
You might even place your hand over your heart and quietly thank your animal for the blessing of sharing their life with you.
The Blessing Can Continue
The Rainbow Bridge Animal Connection Card Deck was created from this same understanding.
Our animals’ physical lives with us may end, but that doesn’t mean the relationship has given us everything it came here to give.
There may be more love to experience. More connection. More healing. More learning. And perhaps even new ways for our animals to participate in our lives.
The deck is designed to help you explore those possibilities and discover what your relationship with your heart animal can become now.
If you feel drawn to exploring what may still be possible with your own heart animal, you can click here to join the Rainbow Bridge Animal Connection Card Deck waitlist.
The first 100 decks will include one of these special St. Francis medals. Those on the waitlist will be notified first when the deck becomes available.
On Sunday, people around the world will honor St. Francis and bless the animals they love.
Perhaps we can also take a moment to recognize something just as beautiful:
The animals we love have been blessing us all along.
And for our heart animals who have crossed, perhaps that blessing is still unfolding.
Heart Blessings!
Kim
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