BelatedRainbow Bridge Remembance Day

I did not know that yesterday, August 28, was Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.

Quoting from the National Day Calendar:

"Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day on August 28th sets aside a day to remember the pet companions we’ve lost.
The death of a pet, whether furry, feathered, or an uncommon variety, is felt deeply. They become family and a familiar part of our lives. Mourning their death is different for everyone, and the observance provides a way to help heal the ache of loss.
The pain of loss is real. As each person travels through their grief, we remember the companionship and comfort they provided to us. Don’t forget that part of the relationship included care provided by you. The empty space left by the loss of a beloved pet is sometimes a difficult void to overcome."

I found this out a little too late when three blogs I read featured Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day posts yesterday.  

Almost all of us have felt that pain.

So, how about my story?

I want to blog about my first pet.  The name has been changed because..well, because.

"Singer" was a canary.  I lived in a New York City housing project which prohibited dogs or cats.  My Mom had brought home various goldfish, but eventually they all went to the large aquarium in the sky.

Meanwhile, one of my aunts, who lived a couple of miles from me, had three pets:  two cats and a canary.

Yes, a canary living in the same apartment as two cats.

It was a male and it sang so beautifully.  For me,watching it, it was instant love.  I've always been attracted to birds and started begging Mom for a canary of my own.

At some point, when I was about eight, Mom decided I was old enough to care for a pet, so off to the pet shop we went (at that time, the early 60's, canaries were not expensive the way they are now) and Mom and I came home with a yellow canary.

"Singer" became a friend and companion for this only child.  He would sing for me, do little tricks with his seed bell and swing, and entertain me in general with his antics during his weekly bath.  In fact, I was able (with a lot of patience) to train him to sit on my finger, and even to sit on my shoulder.  I have a picture, somewhere of me (in a bathrobe, as I recall), with "Singer" perched on me. 

His songs and company were just what I needed after I broke my leg in three places and had to spend the next two months at home because my elementary school classroom was on the 4th floor and there was no elevator in the school building.

Sadly, he passed away during my recovery.  I can remember the date, too, because it was the day before Kennedy was assassinated.  I was still in my leg cast.

We went to the pet store the day after Kennedy died to buy another canary.  In the pet store cage was a yellow canary with a black spot on top of his head.  My Mom and I agreed the bird had the spot to mourn Kennedy, and that was the bird we took home with us.

I haven't had a pet in several years.  But, as retirement beckons...who knows?  Writing this post brought back so many sweet memories of my first true pet.

What about you?  Do you have a beloved pet you want to remember today?