12/22/2024
For anyone interested in the full story
Ceremony of the Silver harness
Today is a special day.
It is the solstice, the shortest day of the year, the first day of Winter. And in another way of looking at it, the day the curve turns upward.
And in the sled dog community, it is the day we celebrate the ceremony of the Silver Harness. As the tradition was explained to me, when our beloved companions leave this existence, they are welcomed on "the other side" with a very special gift as a reward for their faithful service on Earth. The Silver Harness. Just like any other sled harness, except that it has the power to allow them to do the thing they love the most; free from the burden of pain; and aside from earthly constraints. It allows them to race the wind, (and win), to laugh at the cold and to feel the special bond of the pack that only sled dogs can know together with all the other dogs who have crossed over.
We, who are left behind, celebrate the day with stories of our friends. We remember their lives and ours intertwined, with one rule only. We are not allowed to be sad. Funny stories are especially welcome and brave tales celebrated, but tears are intolerable, because to our friends on the other side, they are incomprehensible. They are happy, doing what they love, and they sleep soundly every night, next to a fire fueled with memories of our lives together, and wake happy with a dream that ends with our ultimate reunion and inevitable togetherness.
And so, as the light of day fades to the longest night of the year,the tradition is to light one candle for each of our friends that have passed. A positive sign that the dark holds no dominion in our lives, and a way to remember our companions as the light in our heart that never dims.
The story also says that we should look out into the night as well, because that brief glimpse of a shooting star, or the Aurora, or just an unknown flash of light is a way for us to see our friends again, the reflection of the Silver Harness, as they enjoy their run out on the edge of forever.
Sigma Kennels is a proud conservation/preservation breeder of merit with the AKC.
