When nineteen-year-old Edna Clyne-Rekhy sat down to write about her beloved Labrador Major in 1959, she had no idea she was creating the world’s most influential piece of animal mourning literature.
Her words about a mystical place called Rainbow Bridge have since comforted millions of grieving pet owners worldwide, sparking an enduring question: does it matter if the Rainbow Bridge is real, or is its power found in our need for it to exist?
A Story Born from Love
Edna’s original concept described a lush meadow just this side of heaven where pets wait, restored to perfect health, until their owners join them.
What began as a teenager’s private grief over her first dog evolved into a universal symbol of hope.
The poem gained widespread popularity after Dear Abby published it in 1994, spreading through veterinary offices and online communities.
Why We Need the Bridge
The Rainbow Bridge has been so successful because it’s malleable, adapted by people from all belief systems to fill a pet-sized grief gap.
Unlike human death, which receives social recognition, pet loss often goes unacknowledged by society.
The Rainbow Bridge validates the depth of our animal relationships.
Research shows the concept appeals even to atheists, suggesting its power lies beyond literal religious belief.
For many, it provides what grief counselors call an emotional anchor—something concrete for the mind to grasp during abstract pain.
The Question of Truth
Pet grief therapists note that the Rainbow Bridge offers a way to maintain an ongoing relationship with a deceased pet.
The poem signifies what people want to hear: that pets become healthy and young again, addressing one of pet loss’s most painful aspects—watching our companions decline.
Does the Rainbow Bridge need to be real to be meaningful?
Perhaps the more important question is whether it serves the grieving heart, providing hope that transcends the sorrow of parting.
Edna Clyne-Rekhy, now in her eighties, still finds it surprising when called the world’s greatest expert on animal mourning.
Her advice to those grieving?
Get another pet.
But first, perhaps, imagine your beloved companion restored and joyful, waiting patiently.
The Rainbow Bridge might be real, or it might simply be real enough.
In grief, sometimes that’s the same thing.
Want to light a candle for your beloved companion? We now have memorial candles!
Check them out here: Memorial Candles
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