The Final Goodbye

This isn't really a ghost story but it might qualify as something strange enough to go on this site.

Well, 3 years ago on Thanksgiving Eve (I guess that is what you would call it) I went to bed as usual. I had 2 dogs at the time and both were in good health for being so old. Toby was 11 and Tory was 9. I was 12 at the time. We were expecting some company but not anything special. It was nothing major so I wasn't too excited (especially since I am a vegetarian and wasn't thrilled about the turkey being killed). Well, back to me going to bed. I went to bed but the problem was I couldn't sleep. I have always had some trouble falling asleep. It usually takes anywhere from 1/2 hour to a couple of hours for me to fall asleep. Sometimes I can't fall asleep until about midnight. Well, I just assumed it was another one of those nights and attempted to fall asleep. It wasn't working. I finally ended up falling asleep around 2:30am. I wasn't experiencing anything weird I was just restless. ( I am sorry that this is so long but there is a point to all of this).

Now fast forward to the next morning. When I got up my Mom broke the news to me that Toby had died the previous night. She explained that my dad had found him in a bad state all bloated and in pain. My father rushed him to the vet where she operated for 2 hours. It was hopeless. The only thing to do was to put him to sleep. So at about 2:00am my Toby died. I was devastated!

A few weeks later I was still upset over the loss of Toby and the fact that I didn't get to say goodbye to a friend of 11 years. I was walking around in my backyard and out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow just about the shape and size of Toby. I turned and looked and nothing was there. It was just a sunny empty spot on the lawn. I thought for a second, and whispered goodbye to Toby. Somehow I felt more at peace and like Toby could rest.

I wonder if it was my imagination or did Toby come just so that I could say goodbye? And was it just a coincidence that at almost the same time Toby's suffering was stopped I could sleep?