Diego: A Love Story

“Not all soul mates are human. Anyone who has truly loved an animal will confirm these special animals are one of their soulmates.” – Soulmate Reading

Macaws are highly recognized for their dramatic eyes and striking colors in vibrant shades of blue, red, green and yellow. They are affectionate, gentle birds when hand-fed as babies. They mate for life and enjoy sharing food and grooming one another. Macaws come from Central and South American rain forests where they live in flocks of 15-30 birds and have an average life span of 60 years. It’s best they go to experienced handlers as macaws can be aggressive and have difficulties with fluctuating hormones.

I was about to meet Diego, a seven-year-old macaw who was attacking a family member and even drawing blood. I wondered what had caused such a drastic change in his behavior.

As I tune into Diego prior to the reading, he immediately gives me a tour of his home. It’s a beautiful home and he’s quite proud of it. He then tells me he’s not happy and that he desires “affection and wants to be the baby and be doted on.” He adds that he’s a loving and affectionate bird and wanted to live with humans, but he’s finding it harder than he thought. “But here I am now,” he jokes.

The reading begins with details of the attacks and resulting frustration from Diego’s human mom, whom he calls Lala. As he listens to our conversation, I feel a deep sadness and pain wash over Diego. He tells me he misses his Papa, his human father. He shows me an image of himself sitting on the arm of Papa’s chair while Papa talks to him. This is their special time and Papa is the person he loves most in life.

Now Diego is showing me the day Papa left for the last time. The intense grief that grips Diego is overwhelming. His heart is broken and the pain he feels over Papa’s passing is causing him to lash out in anger. He is angry that he is alone. He is angry that he couldn’t help Papa and he is angry that he can’t be with him. Diego doesn’t know what to do with these feelings. As I relay this information to Lala, I see that Papa “visits” Diego daily trying to console his much-loved companion.

I see this same man now standing next to Diego’s cage and tell Lala, “In fact, he’s here right now trying to help Diego.”

I hear the banging of a dropped phone, then silence. As I wait for the phone to be recovered, Lala pleads, “Listen!”  Pitiful cries of. “Papa, Papa.” fill the room. Tears are shed over the loss of Lala’s husband and the man that was Diego’s world.

Lala asks “Do you hear him? He’s calling him! He did this every night just before my husband came home.” I watch as Papa, again, attempts to comfort the distraught macaw when he doesn’t walk through the door at the appointed time. I see the deep compassion and love Papa feels for Diego as he talks to him; this time assuring him that he is okay and that Diego will be too.

We end the reading with a new understanding of the depth of Diego’s feelings and subsequent behaviors for a situation that only time can truly heal. A plan is devised for feeding and handling Diego to help alleviate future attacks.

A soul mate relationship explains the deep connection between man and animal. It is a heart connection that can never be destroyed. These are souls that have shared many lifetimes. It is a love that cannot be denied and one that shows up in many forms and between different species. It’s not uncommon for loved ones who have crossed over, whether human or animals, to come into a reading. It’s an opportunity for them to bring messages of comfort, support, love and sometimes advice.

Our bonds with our animal companions are deeper now than they were even just a few decades ago. There is a connection that is different now; or is it that the profound connection is more accepted now?

When someone has that special intimate soul mate connection with their pet they very often believe they have touched the hand of the divine, personally within their lives.”¹

Two Years Later, February 2016 Update:

Lala reports Diego is still an “ornery old cuss.” Though he’s not as aggressive, she has been bitten several times. She says, “I understand that Diego doesn’t want to be mean to me; he can’t help himself. He blames me and has no impulse control. I was once really close to him; I hand-raised him. I would roll him over on his back and scratch his tummy.” Diego now relates to another male and they are “best buds.”

This experienced handler shares “birds feel human emotions they haven’t known before. Diego was highly incensed that the person he loved and spent so much time with didn’t say goodbye to him. It broke his heart. Animals don’t forget so easily.

“Diego is a very interesting, multidimensional bird and he’s really smart, in fact, surprisingly smart. He likes to tease the puppies and is quite the character.

“Just because animals speak a language we don’t understand doesn’t mean they aren’t sentient. They are very, very sensitive. We are all complex. We’re attached to the same spirit. I see Diego’s complexities and it’s helpful for me to be able to predict his behavior better!”