The Rainbow Bridge: where this text that comforts so many owners comes from

What the Rainbow Bridge describes

The text pictures a vast green meadow, just short of heaven's threshold. The animals who have left us arrive there and, at once, their health and strength return: the old and the ailing recover, the injured heal, just as we knew them in their finest days. They run and romp side by side in the sun, warm and content, wanting for nothing — save one single thing: the human they had to leave behind. And on the day that person's own time comes, the two are reunited and cross the bridge together. It is a simple image, and that is its whole strength.

A young girl, a Labrador, 1959

For decades the text circulated marked "author unknown." Its origin was only established in 2023, thanks to the work of art historian Paul Koudounaris, revealed by National Geographic. Its author: Edna Clyne-Rekhy, a Scot from Inverness, who wrote it in 1959, at 19, in the depths of grief after Major — her first dog, a Labrador — died. It was her mother who, seeing her inconsolable, suggested she set her sorrow down on paper. The words, she has said, poured out in a single flow.

How an intimate text travelled the world

Edna never sought to publish it: she held it as a private keepsake. She only typed a few copies for friends who were moved to tears — without adding her name. From hand to hand, the text spread until its link to its author was lost. In 1994, the famous advice column "Dear Abby" printed it in the United States: tens of millions of readers discovered it, still anonymous. Its fame became global; the US Copyright Office would even receive some fifteen claims of authorship. A text born of grief was thus passed on, from one moved person to the next — exactly the way a memorial page is shared today.

Why does it comfort so much?

Its strength lies in three quiet promises: the animal is freed from suffering and restored to youth; separation is not the end but a wait; and the bond itself endures. To this it adds a shared language: "crossing the bridge" says a whole grief in three words, without having to explain it. The text belongs to no religion: some read it literally, others as a metaphor, and it consoles either way. The idea of a bridge between worlds is in fact very old — it appears, for instance, in the Bifröst of Norse mythology.

Using it for a farewell

Many read it at a goodbye ceremony, as an opening to offer shared words, or as a closing to end on tenderness. It pairs well with a photo, a candle. But the finest thing is to make it your own: your own words matter as much as its. If children are present, the meadow image often helps them understand — a valuable support when explaining death to them. And to those who struggle to grasp your sorrow, it gently reminds us that such grief is entirely legitimate.

You can also read the full text, credited to its author.

A meadow of your own

You can see a memorial page as a meadow of your own: a place where your animal stays as you loved them, whole, joyful, sheltered from time. That is what AmiAmor offers — a photo, a few words, a candle to relight, a place to return to. A way, in your own fashion, to keep the bond alive while you wait for the bridge.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote the Rainbow Bridge?

Edna Clyne-Rekhy, a Scottish artist, who wrote it in 1959 at 19 after the death of her Labrador, Major. Her name was only established in 2023.

Is the Rainbow Bridge religious?

No, it is tied to no religion. Each person reads it according to their beliefs — literally or as a metaphor — and it comforts in every case.

What does "crossing the bridge" mean?

It's a gentle way of saying an animal has died: they reach the Rainbow Bridge meadow, where they wait, in good health, to one day find again the person they loved.

Can this text be read at a ceremony?

Yes, it's very common, as an opening or a closing. You can also add your own words to make the tribute more personal.