Stories of Love and Courage:
The Story of Mr. Reecie and his sudden death, and his eternal love.
I am working outside with my beloved Reecie, a rescue dog who had been with us for 15 years. My wife had fallen and broken her leg three weeks before, and I heard her call for help from the back door. I turned to go toward her voice when I hear a terrifying cry of pain from my Mr. Reecie. His voice vibrated with suffering.
I find it interesting how in the hearing of certain sounds the heart automatically prepares us for grief.
Mr. Reecie
Reecie had never in all our years gone near the fire pit that is ringed with stones and a hill of dirt. But there he is, writhing in pain in the embers. How he got in there I do not know. My beloved Reecie, who would sleep with us, cuddle, play, nap, eat, and drink of sacred waters, was burning.
Dashing to the fire pit, I leap into the red-hot burning embers, to pull him out. I am barefoot – shocked throughout. I scream for my wife as I run to our swimming pool and jump into the cooling waters. I pray he will be okay. He was not OK, and I am being baptized into a particular suffering this day, an initiation, then, and when he died, two days later. I have wept for as many years or more.
For some unexplained reason, my clothing and feet are not harmed. But I say that the memory of this tragic event has been burned into my mind forever, both the love and the hurt.
My wife and I are blessed to have been with him all those years. Our initiation into death was terrible: initiation and blessing, blessing and initiation. We could never have one without the other. It is the nature of life.
Recriminating Dispersions
There are days since his death I am
immersed in recriminating dispersions –
finding nothing takes away the pain,
for I cannot find even a single diversion.
Please do not think poorly of me,
for I have taken care of that myself.
It is only when I remember him –
nuzzling my chest and loving me,
that I can place my scathing condemnations
into that same fire, and then place their ashes
next to his, there upon the shelf.
Mr. Reecie in his favorite “I have a big heart” sweater.
From: Untying the Sacred Bundle ©2023 by Stephen W. Emerick Ph.D; Dan C. Kirkpatrick (Editor)
Mr. Reecie
MedicineSinging™ is a community that celebrates holistic well-being and the diverse ways individuals nurture their mind, body, and spirit. We invite you to be a part of this collective wisdom by sharing your own experiences, practices, and insights. Pull up a chair, and let’s enrich each other’s lives.
If you belong to a culture, tradition or simply to a nation on the planet and would like to contribute some myth, legend, fable or folktale, stories, points of information and or cosmologies that you think can illustrate some principle or section of the MedicineSinging.com, do not hesitate to contact us. In addition, if you belong to a First Nation Native American, sub-Saharan African or Australian Aboriginal culture, please specify the conditions under which we should treat your story (for example, that it will not be transcribed in writing and preserved only in video or audio format) and we will scrupulously respect the conditions of your culture. It is our heartfelt desire to share such information on MedicineSinging.com for cultures that may feel they are disappearing and are wanting to share their honored traditions in perpetuity. All cultures and traditions have beliefs regarding the end of time, therefore, some cultures will become Last Nations or last cultures. This is why we honor what you have to share. We hope to pass cultural wisdoms on to the next Seven Generations.
Title of Your Wisdom:
- (Give a title to your submission)
Category:
Your Wisdom:
- (Share your experiences, practices, or insights. Feel free to include stories, tips, or any wisdom you’d like to impart.)
Optional: Image or Artwork
- (Attach an image or artwork that represents your wisdom, if applicable)
Terms and Conditions:
- By submitting your wisdom, you agree to allow MedicineSinging™ to use and share your contribution on the website and affiliated platforms. Your personal information will remain confidential.
Review and Approval:
- Please note that all submissions will be reviewed for approval. While we strive to include as many contributions as possible, we may not be able to add every submission to the platform.