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Please check back often as I fill these pages
with inspirational thoughts, quotes and poems, and I hope
something you read here will touch you as so often words can... |
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In
addition to the wonderful thoughts and poems presented here, you'll find links to these special writings below. |
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See an especially beautiful rendition of the much-loved story: The Rainbow Bridge | |
When she was 11 years old, Katy Riley wrote this poem about her faithful companion: A Poem for Max | |
Sue Culberson describes her last day with her beloved Rottweiler in A Perfect Day | |
Kelly Ryan shares this touching tribute to her cherished German Shepherd dog, Gunner | |
Dorothyann McKeon writes about her loss in Broken Links | |
In tribute to service dogs and their partners, and shortly before she was matched with her own beloved service dog, Kathy McKeon wrote All I Need | |
You Are My Heart is Tressa Huntsman's tribute to her beloved Enchante | |
Eva Vichules wrote this in celebration of the bond she shares with her beloved Darwin, An Extraordinary Dog | |
This touching and beautiful piece was written by composer Martin Scot Kosins, author of Maya's First Rose: Diary of a Very Special Love. It appears in the book Angel Pawprints : Reflections On Loving and Losing a Canine Companion, and is reprinted here with his permission. The Fourth Day | |
In this piece from his astonishing memoir, My Cat Saved My Life, author and composer Phillip Schreibman addresses the question of whether animals have souls. Where Do We Go from Here? | |
From her warm and wonderful book The Daisy Sutra, author Helen Weaver offers this "string of pearls" which came to her as a gift from her beloved dog Daisy. The Daisy Sutra | |
From
her heartwarming and
thought-provoking book,
Blessing the Bridge:
What Animals Teach Us
About Death, Dying and Beyond,
author Rita Reynolds
offers her gentle suggestions
for helping an animal friend to die with peace and dignity. Euthanasia: The Merciful Release |
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After
Grandy suffers a major loss,
she cooks up her own unique batch of Tear
Soup.
Richly illustrated in full color,
this marvelous book
gives both adults and children
a thorough understanding of grief,
along with a glimpse into Grandy's life as she blends various ingredients into her own mourning process. |
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Read the inspirational piece, If A Dog Were Your Teacher | |
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As a guest on The Johnny Carson Show, beloved movie star Jimmy Stewart tearfully recited this heartfelt poem, which he wrote in memory of his beloved dog, Beau. Watch and listen here: You Tube - Jimmy Stewart - Johnny Carson; read the words to the poem here: Beau. | |
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See
The
Journey, by Crystal Ward Kent: When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey -- a journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet also test your strength and courage. Read on . . . |
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The animals are
more ancient than us. |
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Until one has
loved an animal, |
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Animals serve as conduits for people
– Allen & Linda Anderson, in |
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The Golden Harp
I saw the angels all around her, gold and the purest white
they were clothed
Copyright © 2008 by Nick Fyffe, for his beloved Darby |
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My Best Friend
I had a
baby Beagle Dog, a dog I loved so well
--
Copyright © 2007 by
Frank Sause, |
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Where he is really
buried, ~ Cleveland Amory, in The Best Cat Ever |
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I Remember
I stood by
your bed last night. I came to have a peep.
I whined to
you softly as you brushed away a tear,
I was close
to you at breakfast. I watched you pour the tea.
I was with
you at the shops today. Your arms were getting sore.
I was with
you at my grave today. You tend it with such care.
I walked with
you towards the house as you fumbled for your key. You looked so
very tired, and sank into a chair.
It's possible
for me to be so near you everyday.
You sat there
very quietly, then smiled. I think you knew ~
The day is
over ~ I smile and watch you yawning,
And when the
time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I have so
many things to show you, there is so much for you to
see.
-- Author
unknown |
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Somewhere Out There |
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Heaven goes by
favor. |
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I rescued a human today.
Her
eyes met mine as she walked down the
corridor peering apprehensively into the
kennels. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As
she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view
from a little accident I had in the back of
my cage. As
she read my kennel card I hoped that she
wouldn't feel sad about my past. She
got down on her knees and made little kissy
sounds at me. Soon
my kennel door opened and her smile was so
bright that I instantly jumped into her
arms. So
many more are out there who haven't walked
the corridors. I rescued a human today. -- Anonymous |
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People are having
profound spiritual experiences with animals. |
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The Vision
I
saw a ship with beautiful sails on a foggy
-- © 2005 by
Julie Schofield |
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There is a land
of the living -- Thornton Wilder |
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Touch of A Friend |
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Somewhere ~
somewhere in time's own space |
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A Place in Heaven
Is there
a place in Heaven
A being
pure of spirit
--
Janis Diebert |
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There are two
means of refuge -- Albert Schweitzer |
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We who choose to
surround ourselves -- Irving Townsend, in The Once Again Prince |
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When your day
seems out of balance |
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Why remember?
--
Allen
and Linda Anderson, |
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Not only is there
always another good animal -- Kent C. Greenough |
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The wind of
heaven |
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Since ancient times, horses have kissed Mother Earth with their hooves.
– Allen and Linda Anderson, |
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Ode to Oliver
It’s five months now, my lovely boy
That
last day – it broke my heart
I must move on, my dear, dear lad
So thanks again, my faithful friend |
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It may be that
the most profound benefit of having a pet |
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It's a
heartbreaking responsibility that I have been through too many
times,
--
Francis Battista, in |
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Grief is not just
confined to losing a person through death. -- Douglas C. Smith, MA, MS, MDiv |
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There is
something about the outside of a horse -- Winston Churchill |
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Remembering Our
Dog, Dudley |
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. . And when one of us is gone |
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She Is Gone
You can
shed tears that she is gone -- Author Unknown |
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There must be a
heaven -- Author Unknown |
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Acquiring a dog
may be the only opportunity |
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And if I go,
while you're still here ~ -- Pauline Hitchcock |
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A dog can express
more with his tail in minutes
--
Author Unknown |
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Come dream with
me for a while as you linger
Come dream with
me of youthful follies
Come dream with
me all curled up on the couch
Come dream with
me of landing on all fours right on your resting form
Come dream with
me of the times when no one else seems to understand
Come dream with
me of talks at mealtime
Come dream with
me as I knead with my paws
Come dream with
me in your sorrow
Come dream with
me so I can let you know
Come dream with
me forever in a place
In
tribute to Mercedes, Stinky and Simon –
-- Copyright ©
2003 by Lucy Linder |
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I believe that
the loss of a beloved companion animal
-- Susan
Chernak McElroy, in |
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If you can go
through life without experiencing pain, -- Neil Simon, in The Play Goes On |
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As I lie in the
state between -- Mary Maude Daniels |
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If we go to
heaven,
--
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, in |
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He is my other
eyes that can see above the clouds, -- Gene Hill |
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If having a soul
-- James Herriot |
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A farmer had some
puppies he needed to sell. -- Author unknown |
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Dogs in Our Lives
We
aren't house-proud. If we were, -- Paul Fersen |
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At the Grave of a Fine Cat
May your
whiskers be ruffled by only pleasant breezes, -- Barbara Younger |
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In order to keep
a true perspective of one's importance, -- Dereke Bruce |
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A Dog's Plea |
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Buddy |
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My Dog is Love
God
is love
--
Copyright © 2002 by Armand Emery Brun |
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Tribute To Dakota |
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Member
of the Family |
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I'll Cross That Bridge ~ When I Come to It
Rascal
came into my life soft and gentle,
--
Copyright © 2002 by Winnie Hillock |
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Welcome
at Rainbow Bridge |
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Heartbreak is life educating us. |
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Grief is like the ocean;
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Gifts |
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Animals, among God's most perfect creations, |
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Teaching a
child -- Bradley Miller |
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The Little Cat Angel |
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Near
this spot are deposited the remains
-- Lord Byron |
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. . In one winter two disastrous events happened at the same time, each
of which made an impact on my life.
First, a number of men were killed in a mining accident . . . The
other tragic event was having our 15-year-old cat ‘put to sleep.’
Can you guess which of those events caused me to cry my eyes out?
You guessed it — the cat! There is scarcely any comparison between the loss of human life and the end of a semi-crippled old cat. But Samantha was my cat. I loved her. She was a permanent part of our history. Her loss was not an academic thing. I didn’t look at television or newspaper accounts of her death and say, “That’s too bad!” and go on to the sports page. She was mine. Her loss plunged me into grief . . . This was my loss and at that moment, as far as I was concerned, it was the worst thing to happen in the whole world. I didn’t want anyone to tell me how great it was that she didn’t suffer, or how far beyond a normal life expectancy she had lived. I wasn’t very objective about the loss of Samantha as compared to the mining disaster, or the loss of my parents some years earlier or the starving masses in the Third World. Grief is like that. It isn’t helped by saying, “How childishly you are behaving over a cat!” I have known
deeper times of grief . . . I have held the hands of friends as they
died, baptized stillborn infants, helped families decide when to
disconnect life-support systems and worked with parents whose children
were murdered. Each of those experiences was painful. Nevertheless, at the moment my cat died, her loss was the very worst kind of grief for me in the whole world . . . Never apologize
for grieving. Remind
yourself as often as needed that the very worst kind of loss is always
yours. Learn to acknowledge
that your loss is worthy of grief . . .
—
Bob Deits, in |
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On the Lighter Side: Where Do Pets Come From? It is reported that the following excerpt from the Book of Genesis was discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls. If this is authentic, it would shed light on the question, "Where do pets come from?" And Adam said, "Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked with me every day. Now I do not see you any more. I am lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me." And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever, and who will be a reflection of my love for you. Thus, you will know I love you, even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish and childish and unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself." And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam, and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "But Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and all the good names are taken and I cannot think of a name for this new one." And God said, "No problem! Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG." And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him, and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that Adam's guardian angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam has become filled with pride. He struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught him that he is loved, but no one has taught him humility." And the Lord said, "No problem! I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is. The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not always worthy of adoration." And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would not obey Adam. And when Adam gazed into Cat's eyes, he was reminded that he was not the supreme being. And Adam learned humility. And God was pleased. And Adam was greatly improved. And Cat did not care one way or the other. — Found on the Internet, as reprinted in the Spring 2000 APLB Newsletter |
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Stray Cat
Oh, what unhappy twist of fate
While he, with purr and velvet paw, -- Francis Witham |
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. . We did indeed gather on that Sunday morning in August — thirty of
us — and told stories that were as much about us as Gyda [the dog].
Mostly about the attachments possible between living creatures
when they are patient with one another.
We buried her ashes under a rhododendron bush that’s planted in
a barrel on her owners’ back porch.
I always nod in her direction when I pass by. Gyda.
The grand old virgin aunt in the dog suit. My seminary
training didn’t cover how to perform a dog funeral. It takes a real
dog to teach that. And when
the pupil is ready, the teacher appears.
—
Robert Fulghum, in |
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As we lay our hands upon you, -- Annie Dougherty |
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May
I Go?
May
I go now?
Do
you think the time is right?
May
I say good-bye to pain-filled days
and
endless lonely nights?
I’ve
lived my life and done my best,
an
example tried to be.
So
can I take that step beyond
and
set my spirit free?
I
didn’t want to go at first,
I
fought with all my might.
But
something seems to draw me now
to
a warm and loving light.
I
want to go.
I
really do.
It’s
difficult to stay.
But
I will try as best I can
to
live just one more day,
To
give you time to care for me
and
share your love and fears.
I
know you’re sad and so afraid,
because
I see your tears.
I’ll
not be far,
I
promise that, and hope you’ll always know
that
my spirit will be close to you,
wherever
you may go.
Thank
you so for loving me.
You
know I love you too.
That’s
why it’s hard to say good-bye and
end this life with you.
So
hold me now, just one more time
and
let me hear you say,
because
you care so much for me,
you’ll
let me go today. — Susan A. Jackson |
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A
Stumbling Block, or A Stepping Stone? Once two travelers were going through a deep forest when night suddenly descended on them. In a matter of minutes, the narrow, indistinct path which they had been following became invisible. In the darkness, terror lurked everywhere. Then, to crown
it all, a violent thunderstorm broke over the forest.
Terrifying flashes of lightning were followed by peals of
thunder, which shook the ground under their feet. Torrents of rain
poured down on them. The trees swayed dangerously.
The first man
looked on the storm as a calamity. Every time there was a flash of
lightning he looked up at the sky and cursed God. The result was that he
strayed from the path and got lost in the forest. The second man,
however, looked on the storm as a blessing in disguise.
Each flash of lightning lit up a little bit of the path ahead
of
him. By keeping his head
down, he succeeded in staying on the path.
And so, one step at a time, he made his way out of the forest.
The same
misfortune can prove to be a stumbling block to one person and a
stepping stone to another. — Flor McCarthy, in Windows on the Gospel |
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The
Next Room death is nothing at all . . .
I
have only slipped away into the next room.
—
Canon Henry Scott Holland |
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He
is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You
are his life, his love, his leader.
He
will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You
owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
—
Anonymous |
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The
Animals’ Eden The Animals’ Eden is a huge, beautiful walled garden where all pets go until such time as their human companions can join them. (Although only pet animals go to this walled garden, there are other special places for all the other animals, and especially beautiful places for animals who have suffered while on Earth, since their souls need peace and healing before they can move on.) The garden is full of lawns and hedges, flower borders and shrubs, wildflower meadows and red brick patios. All of this is surrounded by a beautiful decorative wall, just like an English garden from the Middle Ages, but much, much larger— so large that none of the animals feel as though they are in any way enclosed. All the pets who have passed into the Animals’ Eden and are waiting for their special humans are free to do whatever they want, and because it is a heavenly place, none of them wants to do anything that would harm their animal friends. The horses and ponies graze and gallop in the meadows. The dogs romp on the lawns and sniff in the shrubberies. The cats lounge on the patios, basking in the sunshine, or take their ease in the dappled shade of the great oak trees. Birds are no longer caged, but fly free in the trees, eating the plentiful fruits and berries. None of them actually feel hungry, but are provided with heavenly food if they wish, so long as they can eat without harming the others waiting alongside them. The garden has every kind of animal who has ever been a pet and who has someone special to wait for. There is a beautiful arch is the garden wall, the sort of brick arch that might have held a wrought iron gate in earthly gardens. Sometimes one or more of the animals gets a funny feeling, a bit like butterflies in the tummy. Those animals stop their playing or basking, and make their way to the archway. They sense that something special is about to happen. When they reach the gate they can see that their special human is walking toward the archway. Then, because the Animals’ Eden is a place for animals only, those animals can pass through the arch to join their human friends, and walk together in the sunshine on the next stage of their souls’ journey.
For although the garden is a beautiful and happy place, there is nothing
more joyful than a reunion between dear friends who have been apart too
long.
—
Anonymous |
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A
Kitty’s Thanks
I
know you’re feeling sad,
but
there’s no need to be —
even
if I can’t be there, purring
and
rubbing around your feet.
I’ve
still got a windowsill,
and
warm places in the sun. Though no one really owns a cat,
for
me, you were the one.
I
know my time had come
and
know that you did, too.
Please
don’t think you did me wrong.
You
did what you had to do.
You
may be feeling guilty
that
my life is at its end,
but
please don’t feel that way.
Through
memories, you’ll always be my friend. — Author Unknown |
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An Old Man and His
Dog
An
old man and his dog were walking down a dirt road with fences on both
sides. They came to a
gate in the fence and looked in.
It was nice, with grassy, woodsy areas — just what a hunting
dog and man would like — but it had a big sign saying No
Trespassing, so they walked on. They came to a beautiful gate with a person in white robes standing there. “Welcome to Heaven,”
the robed man said. The old man was happy and started in with his dog following
him. The gatekeeper stopped him. “Dogs aren’t
allowed. I’m sorry, but
he can’t come with you.” “What
kind of Heaven won’t allow dogs?” the old man said.
“If he can’t come in, then I will stay out here with him. He’s been my faithful companion all his life.
I can’t desert him now.” “Suit yourself,” the
gatekeeper said. “But I
have to warn you, the Devil’s on this road and he’ll try to sweet
talk you into his area. He’ll
promise you anything, but the dog can’t go there either. If you won’t leave the dog, you’ll spend Eternity on this
road.” So the old man and his dog went on. They came to a rundown fence with a gap in it — no gate, just a hole. Another old man was inside. “Excuse me, sir.
My dog and I are getting mighty tired.
Mind if we come in and sit in the shade for a while?” “Come on in,” the man said. “There’s some cold water under that tree over there. Make yourselves comfortable.” “You’re
sure my dog can come in? The
man down the road said dogs weren’t allowed anywhere.” “Would you come in if you had to leave the dog?” “No,
sir. That’s why I
didn’t go to Heaven. He
said the dog couldn’t come in.
We’ll be spending Eternity on this road, and a glass of cold
water and some shade would be mighty fine right about now.
But I won’t come in if my buddy here can’t come too, and
that’s final.” The man smiled a big smile and said, “Welcome to Heaven.” “You mean this is Heaven? Dogs are allowed? How come that fellow down the road said they weren’t?” "That
was the Devil, and he gets all the people who are willing to give up a
lifelong companion for a comfortable place to stay.
They soon find out their mistake, but then it’s too late. The dogs come here, the fickle people stay there.
God wouldn’t allow dogs to be banned from Heaven.
After all, He created them to be man’s companions in life.
Why would He separate them in death?” —Found
on the Internet by Carroll Brown; Reprinted
in APLB Newsletter, Spring 1999 |
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I’m
Free
Don’t
grieve for me, for now I’m free.
I’m
following the path God laid for me.
I
took His hand when I heard Him call.
I
turned my back and left it all.
I
could not stay another day,
To
laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks
left undone must stay that way.
I
found that place at close of day.
If
my parting has left a void,
Then
fill it with remembered joy.
A
friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
If able, these
things I too
will miss.
Please don't be
burdened with
times of sorrow.
I
wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My
life’s been full; I savored much:
Good
friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.
Perhaps
my time seemed all too brief.
Don’t
consume yourself with undue grief.
Lift
up your heart and share with me.
God
wanted me now; He set me free.
Copyright © 1998
- 2005 by
Julia Napier |
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Just
A Dog
A
faithful dog will play with you,
laugh
with you or cry,
S/he’ll
gladly starve to stay with you,
and
never reason why,
And
when you’re feeling out of sorts,
s/he
seems to understand,
S/he
looks at you with shining eyes,
and
tries to lick your hand,
That
blind, implicit faith in you is matched by such great love —
The
kind of love we all should have
for
our Master up above.
When
all is said and done,
it’s
not so very odd
For
when you spell “dog” backwards,
You
have the name of God.
—
Author Unknown |
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Let
Me Go
When
I come to the end of the road
And
the sun has set for me,
I
want no rites in a gloom-filled room.
Why
cry for a soul set free?
Miss
me a little — but not too long
And
not with your head bowed low.
Remember
the love that we once shared.
Miss
me — but let me go.
For
this is a journey that we all must take
And
each must go alone.
It’s
all a part of the Master plan,
A
step on the road to home.
When
you are lonely and sick of heart,
Go
to the friends we know
And
bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.
Miss
me — but let me go.
—
Author Unknown |
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Rainbow
Bridge
There
is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the rainbow
bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the rainbow
bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green
grass.
When
a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food
and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are
restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made
whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days
and times gone by. They frolic and romp all day with one another. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing. They each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They
run and play together, until the day comes when one of them suddenly
stops playing and looks off into the distance. The nose twitches. The
ears are up. The bright eyes are intent. The eager body quivers.
Suddenly this one runs from the group, faster and faster, leaping and
flying over the tall green grass.
You
have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet,
you take him or her in your arms and embrace, clinging together in
joyous reunion. Happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again
caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes
of your cherished pet, so long gone from your life, but never absent
from your heart. And with your pet beside you once again, you cross the rainbow bridge together.
-- Author
unknown. Source: Abigail Van Buren,
Arizona
Republic, February 20, 1994 |
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Do
not stand at my grave and weep.
I
am not there. I do not sleep.
I
am a thousand winds that blow.
I
am the diamond glints on snow. I
am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I
am the gentle autumn rain.
When
you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I
am the swift uplifting rush
of
quiet birds in circling flight.
I
am the soft star that shines at night.
Do
not stand at my grave and cry.
I
am not there. I do not die. — Mary Frye |
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If
. . . If
you can start the day without caffeine, If
you can get going without pep pills, If
you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains, If
you can resist complaining and
boring people with your troubles, If
you can eat the same food every day and
be grateful for it, If
you can understand when your loved ones are
too busy to give you any time, If
you can overlook it when
those who love you take it out on you when
something goes wrong through no fault of yours, If
you can take criticism and blame without resentments, If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and
never correct him, If
you can resist treating a rich friend better
than a poor friend, If
you can face the world without lies and deceit, If
you can conquer tension without medical help, If
you can relax without liquor, If
you can sleep without the aid of drugs, If
you can say honestly that
deep in your heart you have no prejudice against
creed, color, religion or politics, Then,
my friend, you
are almost as good as your Dog. —
Author Unknown |
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.
. . His dog up and died, up and died.
— Mr. Bojangles by Jerry Jeff Walker ©1968 Cotillion Music, Inc. & Daniel Music, Inc. |
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Where
to Bury a Dog There are various places in which a dog may be buried. We are thinking now of a Setter, whose coat was flame in the sunshine, and who, so far as we are aware, never entertained a mean or an unworthy thought. This Setter is buried beneath a cherry tree, under four feet of garden loam, and at its proper season the cherry tree strews petals on the green lawn of his grave. Beneath a cherry tree, or an apple, or any flowering shrub is an excellent place to bury a good dog. Beneath such trees, such shrubs, he slept in the drowsy summer, or gnawed at a flavorful bone, or lifted his head to challenge some strange intruder. These are good places, in life or in death. Yet
it is a small matter. For if the dog be well remembered, if sometimes he
leaps through your dreams as actual as in life, eyes kindling, laughing,
begging, it matters not at all where the dog sleeps. On a hill where the
wind is unrebuked, and the trees are roaring, or beside a stream he knew
in puppyhood, or somewhere in the flatness of a pasture land where most
exhilarating cattle graze. It is all one to you, and nothing is gained,
and nothing lost — if memory lives. But there is one best place to
bury a dog. If you will bury him in this spot, he will come to you when you call — come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path, and to your side again. And though you call a dozen living dogs to heel, they shall not growl at him nor resent his coming, for he belongs there. People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall, who hear no whimper, who may never really have had a dog. Smile at them, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth the knowing. The one best place to bury a dog is in the heart of his master. — From
a Portland Oregonian editorial by Den Iiur Lampanon,
in
response to a subscriber’s Letter to the Editor asking, “Where shall I
bury my dog?” |
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The
real value of ease cannot be appreciated
without
having tasted bitterness, nor
of good without having seen evil, nor
even of life itself without
having passed through death. —
Sadhu Sundar Singh |
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