Upon her passing, a friend sent me the poem "The Rainbow Bridge"... and told me that in the days following Destiny's death, to keep an eye out, because all pets send a sign to the ones they loved here on earth letting them know they arrived safely at the bridge.
At the time, I was comforted by the words, and felt the sentiment was sweet... but honestly felt the harsh reality of an empty apartment, empty food dishes, unchewed toys, an empty bed and a hollow heart. Because Destinys battle to hang on had been a long fight, I was left exhausted and weary. It was a sad, miserable and lonely time and I ached for her to be with me.
Deep down, I knew my mourning was selfish, I knew she was in a place with no pain, no needles, no sub-q fluids, no medicine. I knew she was running free. I had vivid dreams about us playing in the snow, bounding, laughing, running and chasing. The dreams were lively and fun, but they didn't diminish the anguish I felt every day when I woke up to realize she was gone.
I wrote about her daily in the blog I started when she was first diagnosed with CRF. Until she became seriously ill, and until the day she passed, I had no idea that so many people followed and read her blog. I posted about her running on a beach, and accompanied a song by Kenny Chesney "On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful" and then posted the blog on Facebook. When asked to decipher the "captcha" phrase so I could link the blog to my Facebook wall... I gasped when the words popped up "Paradise Found"
In that moment, I felt peace. I knew she had arrived. She had found her paradise... and over and over again, this phrase has found it's way to me when I need it most. Destiny not only sent me a sign to let me know she arrived in Paradise... but she reminds me, in her own sometimes stubborn, and sometimes not so subtle ways that I too am in Paradise... especially when I take the time to live in the moment with a grateful heart. 
Destiny's legacy lives on - her adventures, her love for life, and her ridiculous loyalty and bravery is what I base my life on. Seems a little silly to some... but it seems perfectly Cilly to me.
