GUILT IS COMMON. FORGIVENESS IS EASILY GRANTED.

Mandy contacted me in great distress over what she perceived to be her poor treatment of many animals in her care since childhood. In particular she was concerned to speak to her budgie, Pepe, who died when Mandy was 10. She is 80 now, and did not have a photo of Pepe but described him to me, and I immediately felt that I was connected to the right bird. Pepe told me that Mandy was a 'volatile' child who was terribly sad, and that he tried to help her and keep her cheerful. He told me 'everything was thrown into the air' and I assumed this was a metaphor for her character. However, after reading Pepe's words, Mandy told me that she had accidentally killed Pepe by flicking him with a tea-towel in an attempt to get him to come down from a high perch. Pepe had been showing me the moment he died. I assured Mandy that Pepe did not hold a grudge for her thoughtless action. He knew he was loved and is now working with Mandy as she addresses her relationships with other animals she has cared for. Despite her enduring guilt, I believe Mandy is not some cruel, careless person, but a normal person who feels her responsibilities very deeply. I have told her to ask each animal she remembers for forgiveness, but also to forgive herself. We all do stupid, thoughtless things, and sometimes harm those we love, but unless that harm is deliberately inflicted, we should not hold onto guilt for as long as Mandy has. Acknowledging harm and asking forgiveness is the important thing, and in this case Pepe will be there to support Mandy as she starts her own journey to a guilt-free future. *This is not a photo of Pepe. Mandy told me he was a very clever green budgie, and I was delighted to feel that I was immediately connected to Pepe. My first communication without using a photo, which was very exciting.