People Online are Losing it Over Real-Life Rainbow Bridge Memorial
![Britt](https://cdn-fastly.petguide.com/media/profile/2022/03/20/58320500_1.jpg?size=91x91)
Social media has become a powerful space for pet parents to share the joys and challenges of living with their furry companions. From heartwarming adoptions to hilarious antics, our online feeds are filled with proof of the special bond that is formed between pets and their humans.
But there is another side to pet ownership, a bittersweet time when we could use the understanding of other pet parents. That is, of course, the inevitable loss of a beloved pet and the emotions that come with it.
A recent viral video has sparked a wave of shared grief and emotion on TikTok.
The video, originally posted by @onlyjulianamarie on TikTok, shares a beautiful real-life “Rainbow Bridge” memorial in Lake Lure, NC. It includes a literal rainbow bridge upon which countless pet owners have placed collars of all colors and sizes to memorialize the pets that have left a lasting mark on their hearts.
Many of the collars include tags adorned with the name of a special pet or a heartfelt engraved message. Others are nameless; their stories known only to the loving pet parents who placed them there.
The memorial was inspired by a popular poem shared with pet owners navigating their grief. It describes a special place where pets go after they die to wait for their special someone. Here, they run and play in the meadows and hills, warm, comfortable, and happy.
“All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor,” the poem promises. “Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again. Just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.”
It then explains how they will continue to play together until the day comes when they spot their special someone, running to greet them as fast as their legs (however big or small) can carry them.
“When you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again,” it goes on to say. “The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.”
It’s an image that helps many pet parents to heal and move forward after a tragic loss, picturing every pet they have ever loved together, waiting for them just across the “Rainbow Bridge.”
For those who are currently feeling lost or overwhelmed with grief following a loss, know that you are not alone! Studies have shown that the loss of a pet can be just as hard on us as the loss of a human family member.
The memorial shown in the video is only one of many across the United States and worldwide, giving pet parents a place to honor the furry friends and family members they held (and continue to hold) so dear.
If you’re unsure where to find a physical memorial, there are also websites like RainbowsBridge.com that allow you to create an online memorial to your pet, participate in candle-lighting ceremonies, and access much-needed pet loss grief support resources.
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![Britt](https://cdn-fastly.petguide.com/media/profile/2022/03/20/58320500_1.jpg?size=91x91)
Britt Kascjak is a proud pet mom, sharing her heart (and her home) with her “pack” which includes her husband John, their 2 dogs – Lucifer and Willow – and their 2 cats – Pippen and Jinx. She has been active in the animal rescue community for over 15 years, volunteering, fostering and advocating for organizations across Canada and the US. In her free time, she enjoys traveling around the country camping, hiking, and canoeing with her pets.
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