Mourning For Beloved Animal Friends
Comfort For The Bereaved
Part 4
Mourning For Beloved Animal Friends (1)
The Rainbow Bridge
By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
In a lush green meadow where time stands still,
Where people’s friends freely do run,
When their time on the Earth plane’s over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where all God’s beloved creatures find rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more they suffer from pain and sadness,
Here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness,
Limbs are restored and health renewed.
Bodies healed and with new strength imbued,
They romp through the grass, without having a care.
But then, one fine day, they stop and sniff the air.
With ears pricked forward, one of them looks back
And suddenly breaks away from the pack.
For just at that instant the eyes have met,
Re-united once more, of human being and pet.
They run to each other to renew their friendship of the past.
The time of their parting is over at last and
The sadness they felt while being apart
Now turns into the purest of joy in their loving heart.
They embrace with an affection that will last forever
And then, side-by-side, they cross over
Into the world of light – together.
Steve and Diane Bodofsky
Edited by Aquarius
Mourning For Beloved Animal Friends (2)
An Animal's Plea
If it comes to pass that I grow frail and weak
And pain keeps me from my sleep,
You will have to face what must be done,
For this my last battle cannot be won.
You will be sad, I understand,
But don’t let grief hold back your hand,
For on this day, more than all the rest,
Our love and friendship will be put to the test.
We’ve had many happy years together
And what is to come can hold no fears.
Do you want me to suffer? No!
That’s why when my time has come, please let me go.
Take me where to my needs people can attend
And if possible, stay with me to the end.
Hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my earthly eyes no longer see.
I know in time that you will see
What a great kindness you have done for me,
That although my tail its last had waved,
From too much pain and suffering
I was saved –
By you!
Do not grieve that it had to be you
Who had this act of kindness for me to do.
We’ve been very close for all these years,
So don’t allow your heart to be filled with tears.
In that place I shall forever be yours.
Anon.
Edited by Aquarius
Mourning For Beloved Animal Friends (3)
From 'Death In The Arctic'
‘I’ve got to kill you, Dick.
Your life for mine, you know.
Better to do it quick,
A swift and sudden blow.
See! Here’s my hand to lick;
A hug before you go.
God! But it makes me sick:
Old dog, I love you so.
Forgive, forgive me, Dick –
A swift and sudden blow…’
Robert W. Service
Mourning For Beloved Animal Friends (4)
Do Animals Go To Heaven?
Decide for yourself after reading the following true story one of my friends sent me some time ago:
Dear God,
My dog Abbey died yesterday and went to Heaven. Please take good care of her. Thank you for letting me have her as my dog, even though she got sick in the end and died. I hope someone in your world is playing with her. She loves doing so with balls and also swimming. I am sending you a picture of her so you can recognise her. I miss her so.
Love,
Meredith
Together with a picture of Abbey and Meredith we put the letter in an envelope and addressed it to God in Heaven. We put our return address on the envelope and Meredith pasted several stamps onto it, because she thought it would take lots of them to get the letter all the way to Heaven. The same afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at our local post office. A few days later, she asked me whether I thought God had received her letter and I said that I thought he had.
Yesterday we found a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch. It was addressed to Meredith in an unfamiliar handwriting and contained the book ‘When a Pet Dies’ by Mr. Rogers. Taped to its inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey and Meredith and the following note:
Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in Heaven. Having the picture was a great help. I recognised Abbey straight away. You will be glad to hear that she isn’t sick anymore and that her spirit is here with me, just like the memory of her will always stay in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since no-one needs physical bodies in the world of spirit – the place some call Heaven – I have no pockets for keeping pictures. That’s why I am returning it to you in this little book. It is for you to keep, so you always have something to remind you of Abbey.
Thank you for the beautiful letter and My thanks also to your mother for helping you write and send it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. Did you know that I picked her especially for you? My blessings are always with both of you, the same as with everybody else. No matter what may ever happen to any of you, never forget that I love you all very much.
By the way, I am easy to find. I am in you and you are in Me. I am in everything that is and the animals are as much My children as you and your parents and everybody else. I work and speak through people. And wherever there is human friendliness, kindness and goodness of heart, that’s where you can actually see me. And whenever you behave in this way towards any of my creations in your world, whether they belong to the human, animal, vegetable or mineral kingdom, you are manifesting your God nature. And that means that you yourself then are God.
With love,
God
Created by Anon.
Edited by Aquarius
P.S. Fred McFeely Rogers, 1928-2003, was a man of many talents. He was an educator, songwriter as well as a TV host. He was equally loved by children and their parents. His show was called Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood and ran from 1968 to 2001. He was also an ordained Presbyterian Church minister.
The above is part of ‘Comfort For The Bereaved’.
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‘Comfort For The Bereaved’
Access To All Parts Of 'Comfort For The Bereaved'
Part 1 – ‘Letter To A Friend’
Part 2 – ‘White Eagle On Life And Death’
Part 3 – ‘Words Of Wisdom In Poetry And Prose’
Part 4 – ‘Mourning For Beloved Animal Friends’
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