When I first heard about the Rainbow Bridge

 When I first heard about the Rainbow Bridge, I pictured a meadow far away. A place beyond clouds and stars, where you would wait for me. And I still believe in that place. But over time, I’ve realized something else—there’s a meadow within my heart, too.

Every memory with you planted something there. The first time you curled up in my lap… the way your tail spun like a windmill when I walked through the door… the quiet comfort of your breathing at night. Each moment took root. Each one grew into something beautiful.

Now, when I close my eyes, I see it clearly. Tall grass swaying. Flowers blooming. The sound of paws rushing joyfully toward me. You’re there, always running, always whole, always free.

It doesn’t take heaven for me to find you—I carry you wherever I go. And though grief can feel like an endless winter, I know love keeps the meadow alive, blooming inside my chest.

Someday, I’ll step into the greater meadow where you wait in full. But until then, I’ll keep walking through the one within me, where every flower is a memory, and every whisper of wind feels like your breath.

You’re not gone. You’re simply running in the meadows of my heart.