One week ago today, my beloved thirteen and a half year old Australian shepherd Iko told me it was time for her to make her transition. I knew she was right, but it hurt my heart so much to even think of saying goodbye to her that I started sobbing.

All week, my stomach felt icky. I cried at nothing and when I wasn’t crying, I was spacy and distracted.

Then yesterday, my husband and I talked to our two kids about saying goodbye to Iko. This made it even more real for both of us. Until this moment, it was just a concept and we could change our minds, wait longer, avoid reality. After our family meeting, I was so sad that I started questioning if it really was her time. Did I hear her correctly last week? I was second guessing everything right when I wanted clarity and certainty.

This was a big decision, maybe the biggest one of my life so far. How could I be sure?

Um, let’s see. I’m a professional animal intuitive. How could I be sure? How could I know that she was ready to go? Duh. I could ask her.

Last night, I decided to do for myself what I’ve done for so many other people who were going through this same challenge. I decided to do a formal reading with Iko, the exact same way I do it for my clients. I planned to do it today when Chris was at work, the kids were at day camp, and Iko and I would be at home alone. It would be quiet and I’d be able to concentrate. As a family, we created a list of questions to ask Iko and a list of things we wanted to be sure that she knew.

This afternoon, I cleared my mind and went through my centering routine. I called in my guides and asked them to connect me to Iko.

I went through our questions one by one. First, my seven year old son Zane wanted to know if Iko knew when she was going to die. No, she told me, she didn’t know exactly when but she was ready to go now. I went down the list, asking Iko our questions and receiving her clear answers. With each question and answer, our next steps became clearer for me. Iko was ready; she said it was her time. She wanted us to help her make her transition. I felt reassured. After asking Iko our questions, I shared our love and appreciation of her. By now, I felt uplifted and grateful. I even felt peaceful.

And then I asked Iko “my three questions.” My three questions are the questions that I asked dozens of animals last year as I was researching and writing my latest book.  My three questions are: What is your spiritual gift? What is your spiritual lesson? Do you have a message you want to share with people? I had asked all kinds of other animals my questions but I hadn’t asked Iko yet and I knew it was time. She answered me and actually had quite a lot to say. And then we were done, all of our family’s questions asked and answered. Our love and appreciation expressed and shared. I thanked Iko and let go of our energetic connection.

I stayed in a quiet mood for a long time after our conversation ended and as I was re-reading my notes, I was particularly moved by her answers to my three questions. Her spiritual gift was a quality that I aspire to and her spiritual lessons were similar to the spiritual lessons that I recognize that I’m learning. Her message to our family was beautiful and inspiring. I know I will take each of her answers to heart and apply her message to my life.

Then I was struck by the universality of her responses and I spontaneously decided I wanted to share it all with everyone that I know - right now, while her words were still ringing in my ears. So now, just a few minutes after finishing my conversation with Iko, I sit here writing this blog post so you can read her words, too, and, if you choose, apply them to your life.

Here are my three questions and Iko’s answers.

What is your spiritual gift? Unabashed enthusiasm. Unabashed “me-ness.” I am totally and 100% me all the time no matter what I’m doing. I am a model of unconditional love for myself and for my family. I love each of us unconditionally. You can’t be fully yourself unless you love yourself fully. Then you get full self-expression, full you-ness. Love is open and free and flowing. When you love yourself, you are open and free and flowing. There is no restriction, no containment, just you being you in every moment. Just love and accept yourself and be you. You are the greatest gift you can give the world.

What is your spiritual lesson? My challenge is to slow down and be there for my family when they need me, to learn to be there for others when I want to be doing my own interesting thing for myself. I am an explorer and I love to check things out for myself. Sometimes I’m more in me than I am with my family.

Do you have a message for our family? Climb your mountains. Live your dreams. Go be yourself in your life. Live life fully. Unabashedly. Love yourself enough to be you. Don’t let anything stop you. You can be great. You can be you. Have fun. Play big. Commit. Remember me as I am - my energy, my personality. Bring me with you as you go live your dreams and climb your mountains. Just be yourself. It’s the most and the least you can do.

Those were her words and they hit their mark in my heart. I hope they are meaningful to you, too, and that you can use them to make your own life better.

To Iko I say: Thank you, Iko, for being such a cute, wiggly, fluffy, funny, enthusiastic, profound companion and teacher for me. This conversation was another step on my path of letting go and learning how to say good bye. I share you and your message with the world because you have touched my heart and soul so deeply. May your words live on in the lives of everyone who takes them to heart and lives them out in their own, unique ways. Thanks for sharing your life with me, my friend.