TOUCHED BY THE EXTRAORDINARY™ NEWSLETTER FOR THE NEW YEAR 2012 PART TWO INVITING MIRACLES INTO 2012:  TRUE STORIES FOR HEALING, PEACE AND HOPE  ©2012SusanBarbaraApollon PEANUT'S MIRACLE "To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle. Every cubic inch of space is a miracle" ~Walt Whitman Jennifer* shared with me the pain she, her husband Bob* and their eight-year-old son Michael* were experiencing as they grieved their precious Peanut, the dog they had lovingly rescued and adored for many years. Given that Bob worked at home, he was the primary caretaker of Peanut and, consequently, was exceptionally close to this little being. The death of Peanut left a huge hole in the life of each member of this family. The thought of being in the house without Peanut's presence made it difficult to get through an ordinary day--especially for Bob, who didn't have an office or school to escape to. According to Jennifer, while still grieving their Peanut, the family attended a Fall festival at Michael's school. As they stood outside trying to enjoy the cool evening air and laughing children, Jennifer and Bob noticed a gentleman holding the leash of a large black lab. Jennifer approached the dog and found that it was extremely friendly. As she petted the lab, the man told her that it was in training to be a search and rescue dog. Though Jennifer knew that Bob was not just yet eager to bring another dog into their lives, she encouraged him to pet and talk to this warm, sweet lab - and he did! It did not take much for Bob to engage in a wonderful connection with the dog. At this point, Jennifer felt comfortable presenting the idea that perhaps, when they were ready, they might consider adopting a lab. Furthermore, she broached the subject of adopting two dogs so that they would never be lonely. To her surprise, Michael seemed receptive to these ideas. Discussing this possibility, Jennifer felt a slight lifting of the terrible grief that had weighed their family down for days. They spent some more time outside, then went into the school to explore the games and activities that had been set up in the classrooms. Later that evening, as they were preparing to leave the school, the family experienced something which was for them, a sign that their decision seemed to be on target. As they approached the intersection where one hallway crossed another one, Jennifer noticed a sign on the wall. The word "Peanuts" was printed above an arrow pointing in the direction they were heading. Just as they turned the corner, they were stunned to again see the man and the black lab walking toward them! This, for sure, they felt was their Peanut providing them with the sign Jennifer had been asking for since their beloved pet had crossed over. It seemed clear that canine companionship might, once again, be in their future. The very next day, Jennifer, Bob and Michael accompanied their good friends, Dottie and her daughter on a tour of the local Humane Society. (This was a Girl Scout troop event for Dottie's daughter and Dottie had invited Jennifer and her family in hopes that it might be a healing experience for them.) Jennifer told me that she felt something special was going to take place, given the signs they had recently received from Peanut. She added that she had spoken to Peanut's spirit before they left the house that day, asking her to please make it clear if there was a dog the family was meant to take home. Jennifer explained to me that at the moment she and her family arrived at the Humane Society, another woman and her little boy were turning around to leave. They had two adorable black and white lab mix puppies in their arms. Much to the woman's chagrin, the staff of The Humane Society said they could not take these babies. The woman was extremely upset because she had found the abandoned puppies wandering in the woods, knew that they were two sisters, and was hoping they could both be adopted by one family. She desperately wanted to avoid taking them to an animal shelter, where their chances for adoption were most likely slim. Jennifer, Bob and Michael witnessed the woman's dilemma. Well, you probably guessed what followed. In an instant, Jennifer, Bob and Michael fell in love with the two puppies. In fact, they intuitively knew that everything had gone as it was supposed to go. Within the space of five minutes, the family had grown by two. As they stood in the parking lot of The Humane Society, hugging the wriggling puppies, they talked to the woman and the boy who had brought the puppies. It turned out that while Jen and her family had arrived earlier than they had thought they would, the "puppy bringers" had arrived later than they meant to because they had gotten lost. In fact, the woman said her GPS had malfunctioned -- something that had never happened before. The paths of the two families had barely crossed. They all agreed it had been meant for them to meet in this way! In fact, the woman tearfully told Jennifer that this was literally an answer to her prayers. Ivy and Rose, the names Jennifer's family chose for the pups, had already begun to help heal hearts broken by the loss of Peanut. Today, they are healthy, happy five-month-olds who fill their new forever home with joy, energy and love. Peanut is by no means forgotten. In fact, she is lovingly remembered and included in the family's life. Jennifer recently shared with me that it had been Peanut's custom to jump up on her bed and curl up in the curve of her left leg when she was ready to go to sleep. One night as she was drifting off, Jennifer "felt" Peanut jump up on the bed and curl up in her usual place. Additionally, she and her family have heard the familiar sound of Peanut's collar tag jingling, filling them all with hope that Peanut continues to be with them. What Jennifer and her family are discovering is that love is the highest, most wonderful energy. You and your loved ones are eternal loving beings and when you become pure, loving energy, without a physical body, you will do all you can to let your loved ones know you are still present -- but in a different form. Such is the power of love! "Don't look for miracles. You yourself are the miracle." ~Henry Miller With Warmth and Love, Look for Part Three tomorrow... p.s. Please forward a copy of this newsletter to your friends and family, suggesting that they might want to sign up for their own copy at: http://www.touchedbytheextraordinary.com "Sometimes a scientist – often a very great scientist – realizes that miracles pervade everything. Einstein was such a person. As he put it, 'There are only two ways to live your life: one is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a miracle. I choose the latter.' " ~Larry Dossey, MD, The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things Come Join Us On Facebook! Susan Barbara Apollon Fan Page To view our newsletter the way it is intended to be seen you may view it here: http://touchedbytheextraordinary.com/news/newsletterjan2012-part2.html *Names have been changed to protect their privacy.           Matters of the Soul, LLC www.touchedbytheextraordinary.com www.HealingStoriesOfLoveLossAndHope.com Copyright 2012 & Beyond, Susan Barbara Apollon All rights reserved.