Matter is neither created nor destroyed

As I sit here, with my dog, I remembered a thought that came to mind as we drove to Wisconsin, with our hastily packed suitcases, the contents of which perhaps signaled that one cannot plan a journey of grief: "We need to get a puppy."

What, you ask? Yes, as I was nauseous and crying and in shock about the fresh news of my dad's death, I was thinking we ought to get a puppy.

My parents used to tease me and say that they would like to be reincarnated as my dog, because I take good care of my dogs. So, yes, for a moment, I thought: the reincarnation process probably goes pretty quickly, I don't want another dog, but I should maybe try.

Now, of course, I know this is ridiculous. But it got me wondering what the timeframe is for reincarnation. You can Google it. I decided not to click on the many, many links to fora dedicated to this topic because I am scared of the browsing cookies and too lazy to repeat the search in an incognito tab.

So, I rely on Wikipedia. There are a number of different types of reincarnation, depending on your culture, religion, philosophy, and the era in which you live. There weren't many timeframes listed, some believe it is almost an immediate transfer, others are more open ended. Tibetan Buddhists, however, believe it happens within 49 days. This stone depicts the Buddhist reincarnation process.

So, anyhow, the 49-day window is closing, but I won't be getting a puppy.

Brains are weird. Grief is weird. Life is weird. But at least we have senses of humor. And I have a happy dog at my side.