Koda: The Dog Who Saved the Rainbow Bridge
Koda:
The Dog Who Saved the Rainbow Bridge
By
Koda
(Translated and Transcribed by
Craig M. Sampson)
©2013
Dedication
For Kibo,
………who waits patiently for me at the Rainbow Bridge. The dog that touched my soul and opened my heart. May your days there be filled with all the joy and peace described by Mr. Dahm in his poem.
Introduction
THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
By
Paul C. Dahm
Far beyond the sky in another dimension lies a beautiful enchanted land. It is the resting place for all of the animals who have served man, many of whom sacrificed their lives to save mankind. To enter this land, the animals cross over the Rainbow Bridge. The Bridge was called so by the angels for its profusion of rainbow-like colors which glow and fade in welcome to the new arrivals.
It is a land of lush green meadows, flowing streams, and an endless variety of trees. There are ponds scattered about for the new arrivals to bathe and wash away all traces of their previous existence. They emerge refreshed after their long journey across the Bridge.
There are myriads of flowers, many growing in vines which crisscross the branches in the trees. The air is fragrant with their sweet perfumes. Bones and catnip rain intermittently from the air above.
In this magic land, all become young again. The old and inform run about as they did in their youth. The crippled and maimed are made whole again. The days are spent cavorting across the many fields and enjoying the company of the many varieties of animals here. Most happy, if this can be so, are the dogs and otters who are even more playful here than on earth.
There is but one note of sadness here. It is reflected in the eyes of the animals who were pets of humans who loved them while on earth. If one looks deeply into their eyes, this sadness is seen. They miss that unique love, care, and devotion they received from their own special companion. Many had received more love from their owners than their owners had given to their fellow humans.
And then one day, one special, magic day, your own pet looks up. A familiar sound has reached its ears. Its nose begins to twitch, its ears go up, and its tail begins to wag uncontrollably. It stares, then begins to run toward you.
He knows you have come for him. He takes one great leap and once again is in your arms. Your face is kissed and kissed, and kissed again. You look once more into the trusting, loving eyes of your beloved pet. Together you walk across the Rainbow Bridge, never again to be separated.
Preface
My name is Koda. Things here at the Rainbow Bridge are back to normal now, but there was time just recently in which the future of our home here was a bit uncertain. My friends here have urged me to write down my story…….I’m not so sure. To me, it’s not that big a deal, but everyone here seems to feel differently. Mostly it’s my guys……..you know….…dogs……… that are insistent on this point. I talk to everyone here—even the cats. It’s not that I dislike cats at all, it’s just that, well…….they’re cats. I‘m not sure I can explain this very well……..my guys understand, but beyond that it comes out confusing.
I guess the best way to put it into writing, is that cats are just different. Even when I was back on Earth this was the case. Here in this beautiful place that we all have come to after our Earth-bound lives, cats are still sort of in their own little world…….it’s still all about them even here. I am really hoping you take this as an observation only……..I do not mean it to sound like I am judging………my guys…….we don’t judge………never have…..……hopefully never will.
I am guessing that maybe you are wondering exactly what it’s like here at the Rainbow Bridge. I could go into all that and paint a detailed picture for you, but I think a little mystery in life is a good thing. Our good friend, Mr. Dahl, has made an amazing and pretty accurate depiction of the place in his poem which I know is well known and respected among you humans back on Earth who hold a special place in your hearts for those of us fortunate enough to call this home now. You may also have heard that my guys don’t reincarnate as our unique makeup gives us, shall I say a pass, on coming back to learn lessons we need to learn before moving on. In general, that is true………think about a dog you know in your life on Earth……....any dog.
From our introduction into the material world, we are blessed with the gifts that most humans strive for in their development. In fact, and now this is just one dog’s opinion, if you would pay more attention to how we live when we are on Earth, you might get insight into some of these lessons that you spend multiple lifetimes trying to learn. As dogs, we live to serve—even if only as a close companion, live pretty much only in the moment, are quick to forgive, rarely if ever hold a grudge, exude unconditional love, exhibit patience for you—except for those yummy liver treats—just could never control myself around them—and…..and this is a big one…….tolerate cats…..…haaaa, got ya! Just wanted to see if you were paying attention……..cats ore OK..…..but all the other points I make, I make in all seriousness.
So, just take what you know of the Rainbow Bridge as it is and let your imagination fill in any details that you feel are necessary to understand it. As I said, a little mystery in life is a good thing, I think……..how boring to know everything…..…where’s the challenge and where’s the learning opportunity if you know it all already? The only detail that I will embellish on, and it is more of homage to Mr. Dahl, is the last couple paragraphs in his poem……..we are waiting.…..waiting patiently for our humans to arrive. Don’t roll your eyes at me……..it happens and I have seen it and if I could have cried when I saw it I would have. The eventual reunions that I have witnessed are among the most mystical and magical events ever.
As I will explain later, my incarnation to Earth was for a real specific purpose……....not that all dogs do not have a special purpose—they do……...but in this case, my mission was unique, and this is what this story is about. But like you humans, my arrival on Earth was clouded and cloaked in memory loss and fuzziness of the distinct details……...I have been through the whole cycle, so you will just have to trust me on this. If you knew everything all along your journey, it would mess it up………your briefing prior to your actual incarnation is detailed and specific, but as you make the trip of incarnation it is purposefully disguised in order that you might act in accordance with your free will as it is intertwined with your life’s purpose. Pretty good for a dog, don’t you think? So just move along your own unique, individualized path knowing that you are important and vital—just as me and my guys are. At times it may not seem like it, but having been around the horn, so to speak, it is true.
Dogs, both here and on Earth, seem to gravitate toward wanting to serve and be great companions. My friends here seem to feel that’s true of me, and I know from my last visit to Earth and my best friends that I had there, that it was true on Earth as well. Anyway……..everyone here seems to be viewing me now as some sort of hero for what happened recently in the near demise of Rainbow Bridge. To me, “hero” is a pretty overblown title—not sure I really need to carry that around, but it is what it is. So at their insistence, I guess I will relate my story……..well, not me doing the actual writing really…….I’m getting some help.
Things here are more magical and joyful than I had ever imagined, but the reality is that I still need help with writing. I can tell the story just fine……..it’s just that the physical process is still limited….….the paws vs. fingers thing. Couldn’t open a can of my food on Earth and cannot get my words onto paper from here by myself. So, I have recruited a special friend from Earth to set this down in a way that you can understand it and if you are so inclined, pass my story along to “your guys”.
I lived with my best friends from Earth most of my last life, and I know they still miss me greatly—the feeling is mutual. When I left my physical body on Earth, it was a time of great sadness for my friends and they are just now, almost 2 years later, really coming to terms with my departure. We still talk……...not like you guys do with each other………but we still talk. This is hard to describe, and if I did I am not sure you would be able to understand—just have to trust me again on this one. So, I have recruited help to set my story into words……...it will make everyone here very happy and will give my friend a closer connection to me through this work. To really understand what almost happened here, and why my connection to its near collapse is key, we will have to go back to my incarnation to Earth and why my presence here was vital to preserving the Rainbow Bridge.
Chapter 1
My actual entry into an earthly presence was discussed prior to my arrival, and my purpose in visiting the planet set long before I actually landed. This is nothing special……...all of you go through this, you just don’t remember the process or the memory of it is fuzzy at best. Believe me, it is best this way….….if the whole arrangement was a crystal clear memory, it would negatively impact how you live out and experience your own incarnation and how you ultimately go about executing your own personal purpose and mission. I know with the humans this is sometimes hard to imagine or believe, but yes, even the humans have come to Earth with a unique and important role and mission. So like everyone, both humans and my guys, I arrived with only a vague plan or idea of what I was supposed to accomplish.
Even my very first days are a bit hazy, so I will do my best to reconstruct how I got to my adult years where I feel my impact was really coming into fulfilling my ultimate goal. My early days after birth were in a very rural setting. I can remember the smells more vividly than anything else……….I am a dog after all. The smells I recall before my eyes opened were all pleasing and soothing……....lots of different things you would expect from a farm location, like freshly mown grass and hay, the pungent odors of all kinds of animals, and the overriding musty layer of a farm—the barnyard, the organic material, the nearby streams and lakes. Once my eyes opened, the surroundings were as beautiful as the smells I had been experiencing already.
There was a simple white clapboard house that had dark green shutters and a matching tin roof, which was set back from a rough dirt road. Across a short open space was a large wooden barn, weathered but still very much intact with silos on each side. The barn itself was nothing fancy…….but was one of the fondest memories I have from my first days on Earth. The building kept me and my siblings warm and dry during the passing thunderstorms that regularly blew through. The storms would rattle the old barn, but I never felt afraid or anxious during these times. I can still remember the sweet smells of the crunchy layers of hay inside where we all grew up as puppies……..you know that saying about smells being one of the strongest memory retrievers? Even here now, if I close my eyes and think back, that smell of hay instantly will bring me back to my times as a new-born puppy.
On the warm lazy summer days, we would run about in the barn in a large back room that was blocked off from the rest of the animals there, jumping, rolling, and chasing each other through huge mounds of hay—at least when I was little they seemed huge. The gentle breezes would easily waft through the barn as we napped after playing all day and it was just like sleeping on a cloud……..I am probably over-embellishing here, but this is really how I remember it. I had 3 siblings—2 brothers and a sister. All of us were jet black mostly all over, with some slight markings added on.
I had a solo splotch of white on my chest—a very narrow but distinctive marking that ran about 2-3 inches vertically down my upper chest. My brothers had similar markings, but not as large as mine, while our sister had just some minor whitish highlights on her rear feet—kind of like her feet got dipped into some white paint. She was in fact quite proud of her “painted feet” and my brothers and I never heard the end of it……..women…….whatcha gonna do??
Size-wise, we were all typically chunky little pups whose paws were definitely ahead of the rest of our bodies in growth….might be funny to you seeing lab puppies stumbling around in these overgrown feet, but the humor is definitely lost on us. It’s really quite awkward and undignified for us in those early days, but if we can entertain, so be it. The days of my early puppyhood seemed as idyllic and mystical as I think anyone should experience growing up. Outside the security and sanctuary of the barn and its surrounding environs, I have vividly clear memories of the rolling grasslands and pastures nearby. It was like an ocean of tall, wavy grasses with the horizon barely in sight …….just grasses stretching to the limit of our vision undulating in the warm summer breezes like currents in the sea.
I never really got the name of the place where I was born and lived as a young pup, but since arriving here at Rainbow Bridge, they tell me it is called Iowa. I only lived there briefly, but the smells, sounds, and visual memories have remained with me forever…….…such a peaceful and serene existence. Someone recently read me the story “Shoeless Joe” by this wonderful writer named Ray Kinsella, about this obsessed man who built a baseball field in the middle of his corn farm in Iowa……….I understand that Kevin Costner portrayed him in a movie called “Field of Dreams”? Well……....we dogs love a lot of stuff that the humans do, but movies unfortunately are not one of them. Anyway……. there was a scene in which one of the players asked Ray, the farmer, if this was heaven, and he replied:
“No………this is Iowa.”
From my limited life on that farm in Iowa I can easily understand why he might have been mistaken…….…wonderful place that Iowa.
We grew quickly and finally our feet were not the most prominent feature of our bodies. It was such a perfect existence...if only I could have seen what was just around the corner for me that would change my
Impressum
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 16.02.2014
ISBN: 978-3-7309-8430-7
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