Aren and the Fox

Aren Cappella, my beloved wife, died in 1998, three and a half years after she was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer. She was forty two years old at her death. As her disease progressed, Aren became more and more attracted to the spiritual teachings and practices of Native Americans. Towards the end of her Earthly stay she used to venture into the hills around our Rincon Valley home in Santa Rosa, Ca. with only a jug of water on her back. Her vision quests in the hills lasted two or three days and nights. During that time, she slept outside in the hills by herself, even in the rain, communing with Spider, Fox, and Deer. During that intense time of her life she also drove the long distance from our home in Santa Rosa to Mt. Diablo to confer with a Native American shaman who lived there.

Soon after our last trip together to British Columbia, I set up a bed in our living room for Aren as her life here on earth was ending. One day I noticed that there was a fox in our backyard. It was peering through the sliding glass door from the backyard into the living room of our house. The fox was visiting us in broad daylight. I had never seen a fox in the yard before during the sixteen years I lived there, in that suburban community.

We had a beautiful black cat named Shadow. Shadow fiercely defended the backyard from any animal that might stray into it. I was very concerned Shadow might challenge the fox, and that Shadow might be killed or injured.

I called Aren’s shaman to get his advice about the fox and cat. This was the first contact I ever had with the man. What he told me has remained with me. He told me that the Spirits were going back and forth from Aren’s body to Heaven preparing a way for her to travel. He said so much love is released during this process that the cat and the fox would be fine together. Further, he said that after Aren transitioned, the fox would leave and would not come back.

After that call I looked into the yard periodically to check on the fox and cat. They were very close together. Shadow adopted the cat sphinx position. The fox remained very close to Shadow, sitting on its haunches like a dog. They seemed to be communicating, those two, in peace and in silence. This went on for days.

After Aren died, the fox left, and I never saw it again. I believe the fox came came down from the hills, the place of Aren’s vision quests, to give her its attention and support during her time of transition from this world to the next.