Twyla died peacefully on the morning of April 20, 2013 in sunshine, surrounded with love and the sound of songbirds. At the moment her heart stopped, we heard someone playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on piano, followed by "Colors of the Wind." It was a serendipitous accompaniment to our farewell moment.
Twyla was such a precious girl, more human than canine; a well-loved member of our little family. She had the gift of making people smile wherever she went. She loved following a good scent, chasing bunnies, and snuggling under the covers with us at night. I will never know why she howled if we said "Peek A Boo" but it was always funny and predictable.
April 20th was the anniversary of my father's death on Easter Sunday in 2003. I got Twyla a couple months later to comfort my sad heart. She certainly did that. Twyla shared in my adventure moving to the West Coast from Boston and I've been so blessed to have her loving company.
When Peaceful Paws brought Twyla's ashes home to us , we reflected on our beloved little girl and created a shrine in her memory. From the corner of my eye, I saw a black and yellow butterfly gliding just outside my window. It was a mourning cloak butterfly! I knew that Twyla was there with us.
I recently visited my hometown of Marquette MI along the shores of Lake Superior. Twyla never had the chance to dip her paws in that cold fresh water lake. So I brought some of her ashes with me and released them at my favorite beach. Now she is part of that beach. Attached is a photo of her special destination.
I loved Twyla dearly and find comfort in these lines from "Colors:" "We are all connected to each other, In a circle, in a hoop that never ends."
Thank you to Dr. Meg of Home Pet Euthanasia for making the transition so peaceful, loving, and personal.
Julie Fine
Mission Viejo