Henry the KARMA Dog

As I sit to write this blog, it is Thursday, February 13th, 2020. This day for me marks a few things. It is the day I began my yoga journey 13 years ago, as well as the day our sweet yellow lab Henry came into this world. Today would be his 9th birthday. For those of you who know this story, you have some ideas about what you are about to read, and for those of you who don’t, it is a living testimony that DOG is GOD.

Henry was a special dog from the start. He was from a breeder in New York state and a lineage that we had known to love from the dogs we had been caring for, Jack and Bodie. We had so much love in our hearts for these dogs, and we knew when the time was right that we wanted to get a yellow, male Whitespring Lab.

We had just found out that we would be relocating to Gloucester, and renting a sweet house that would allow us to have a dog. I immediately called to inquire if there would be a litter soon, and as fate would have it, Ann the breeder, had just found out that Martha (Henry’s mama) was pregnant and due around Valentines. We were the first to know and would have the first pick of the dog we wanted. Since Jack, the yellow lab stole our hearts some years before, we knew we wanted a yellow male.

The puppies were born in the snow the day before Valentines. There were 6 black pups and 1 yellow male. It was meant to be.

Ann sent pictures along weekly, and we could barely contain our excitement. We met half way to pick him up in Albany. I will NEVER forget when i first laid my eyes on him. His puppy dog eyes, and floppy skin…he stole my heart. We loved him as if he were our own child!

We began to explore and grow to love Gloucester with Henry by our side. He was with us for every single adventure as we discovered every nook and cranny of this amazing place that we now called home.

One of our favorite places to take Henry was to Dogtown and the Babson Boulders. We had been there hundreds of times. We loved the trail that took us to some special spots overlooking the reservoir. We would spend hours there talking, and daydreaming with our buddy by our sides. To get to this spot, you had to cross some train tracks where the train went through to and from Rockport.

5 years ago, New England got pounded with snow. If you live here, then you know what I’m talking about and remember it well. It had been 3 years since I had my cycle after loosing it when I came off birth control. I had been emotionally and mentally suffering, as I was desiring to bring a child into this world. I had an abortion when I was 20, and the struggle to not conceive had brought up a lot of feelings about the decision I had made long ago. One Thursday afternoon, I laid in bed snuggling with Henry and I asked him to help me with this struggle.

Two days later, we went snowshoeing to the lookout. We headed down the hill and crossed the train tracks, when suddenly there was a train coming through from Rockport. Ronnie yelled to me “Train!” Henry stood frozen on the tracks and Ronnie tried to pull him off. Ronnie jumped out of the way in the nick of time, however Henry did not. Henry and I locked eyes and we said goodbye as his body got run-over by the oncoming train. Before he got hit, I heard him say to me, “I was giving my life so that you could create a new one.” I felt the struggle of the abortion leave my body as the train went flying by. Just like that….Henry was gone.

The train stopped and the conductors came out to console us. Henry’s body was cut in half and his organs lay scattered on the tracks. Ronnie asked the conductors to stay with me as he took Henry’s body, piece by piece to an overlook we had named “Hank’s Lookout.” Ronnie had for years been very connected with the book, Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahasana Yogananda. As Ronnie carried Henry’s body, he heard Yogananda’s guru, Sri Yukteswar come through and said, “Henry was removing KARMA so that Sara’s ovaries can heal.”

We left Henry’s body there and went home trying to make sense of it all. WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!? We were trying to wrap our heads around imagining that Henry was no longer with us in his physical body. We laid in bed consoling each other, thankful that Ronnie was alive because it had been just way too close. We were thankful we were together because we understood each other’s experience and what the heck just had happened. We also knew that for whatever reason, this was divinely orchestrated, and was going to propel us to another realm of our spirituality.

We learned from animal intuitive, Danielle Mackinnon, that we have soul contracts with our animals before coming into this lifetime. We learned that our animals are here to help us with specific struggles in our life. They are here to serve and they choose their time and manner of dying as to help us on our path. I know that Henry certainly gave his life for me. Within 36 hours of loosing him, I got my period back for the first time in 3 years.

We went back the next day to retrieve Henry’s body. We had him cremated and spread his ashes amongst some of his favorite spots where he would spend hours chasing the birds, surfing the big waves, and enjoying the sunsets with us.

Henry leaving us marked the beginning of Sage’s (our daughter) spirit coming to join us. I still had quite a fertility journey ahead of me, but Henry reminded me of my power and that it was possible for me to let go of my old guilt, shame and grief and that I held the ability to create life. I began to realize, believe and understand that our child would come to be with us when the time was right.

We later found out that Henry and Yogananda share the same day of death. You just can’t make this stuff up.

I am so thankful for all of the teachings our GURU, Henry had to share with us then, and even still now. We keep his picture in front of the COURAGE boulder in Sage’s room as a constant reminder of their connection. It took me a long time to be OK with the sound of the train whistle blowing. Whenever we hear it we think, LIVE COURAGEOUSLY- one of Henry’s biggest teachings for us.

Not long after loosing Henry, our beautiful cat Shadow and our gentle, peaceful, studly chocolate lab Moses found their ways into our hearts and our homes. Our girl Sage came to join our family at perfect and divine timing. Everyday, every minute, and every breath we have in this lifetime are a gift. Eternally grateful for our angel, guru and friend, Henry.