I’ve meant to post this for some time now, as, oddly, I forgot to when it originally happened.  I have no idea why because it was so incredible, but I suppose I just got caught up in the tears.

The morning that Dudley died, I’d been to the clinic and was on my way home.  I’d had less than 2 hours of sleep, so I was a bit loopy and extremely tired.  I’d stopped at Hardees to get a bit of caffeine and something cold to drink, and I was sitting in the drive thru line, frustrated and wanting my Coke.  I finally reached the window, but still had to wait for a few minutes.  It was then that I looked up and saw it.

Up in the sky, directly above and in front of me, a cloud was shaped into a undeniable paw print.

It was absolutely incredible, and I stared at it for several seconds, in awe of it’s shape and perfect specifications.  As I sat there, I couldn’t help but feel a warmth, and that it had something to do with Dudley.  I know that sounds a bit silly, but it was so amazingly clear and perfect, and I was carrying so much guilt for not getting to the emergency clinic in time (less than five minutes too late), and I was angry, sad, and down right heartbroken…so I couldn’t help but wonder if it was Dudley’s way of telling me it was going to be okay and that he was doing just fine.  Suddenly it hit me – I knew I needed to take a picture of it because nobody would believe me.  I reached over to the floorboard of the car to get my purse and fished around for my camera.  I pulled it out, took it out of it’s casing as fast as I could, turned it on and looked up to take the shot.  It was gone.  My perfect dog paw now looked more on the lines of a blob.

I was sad, for I really wanted a photo of the beautiful paw cloud, not to mention proof that I saw it.  A bit bummed, I put the camera back and finally received my drink.  As I pulled out of the parking lot I looked up again on the chance that it might come back, studying the sky and wondering how in the world a cloud could shape itself into a dog paw.  Deep down, however, I knew…without question, it was a God-thing.  At that moment I realized that perhaps I wasn’t supposed to get the picture of it.  Perhaps it was simply supposed to be a moment for Dudley and me to bond just one last time.  The thought of that made me smile.

I still see his photos and feel heartbreak, but I am so incredibly grateful that he was a part of my life.  I am also glad he chose to speak to me that day, and in his own way tell me he still loved me.  Crazy lady or not, I know that had to be the reason it was there…that’s just not something you see every day.

I am so very glad, however, that on that particular morning, I did.