|
I was standing on a hillside
In a field of blowing wheat,
And the spirit of a dog
Was lying at my feet.
He looked at me with kind dark eyes,
Ancient wisdom shining through.
In the essence of his being,
I saw the love there too.
His mind did lock upon my heart
As I stood there on that day,
And he told me of this story
About a place so far away.
As I stood upon that hillside
In a field of blowing wheat,
In a twinkling of a second
His spirit left my feet.
His tale did put my heart at ease,
All my fears did fade away
About what lay ahead of me
On another distant day.
"I live among God's creatures now
In the heavens of your mind,
So do not grieve for me, my friend
As I am with my kind.
My collar is a rainbow's hue,
My leash is a shooting star.
My boundaries are the Milky Way
Where I sparkle from afar.
There are no pens or kennels here
For I am not confined,
But I'm free to roam God's heavens
Among the Doggie kind.
I nap the day on a snowy cloud
Gentle breezes rocking me,
And dream the dreams of earthlings,
And how it used to be.
The trees are full of liver treats,
And tennis balls abound,
And milkbones line the walkways
Just waiting to be found.
There even is a ring set up,
The grass all lush and green;
And everyone who gaits around
Becomes the Best of Breed.
For we're all winners in this place;
We have no faults, you see.
And god passes out those ribbons
To each one, even me.
I drink from waters laced with gold,
My world a beauty to behold;
And wise old dogs do form my pride
To amble at my very side.
At night I sleep in angel's arms,
Her wings protecting me,
And moonbeams dance about us
As stardust falls on thee.
So when your life on earth is spent
And you stand at Heaven's gate,
Have no fear of loneliness--
For here, you know, I wait".
---author unknown
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark
clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your
pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic
shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the
crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love. The steadfast,
undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do,
or how life treats us as long as we are together."
Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can
give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you
will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel
ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human
who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful
companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere
human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will
be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to
be. The one they were proud to call beloved friend.
I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths
of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets,
one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go
down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go.
A pet's time on earth is far too short, especially for those that love
them. We borrow them, really, just for a while, and during these brief
years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of
their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left. The cat
that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and
sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy now wakes up
stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to gray.
Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew
that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must
for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road
curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let
them run on ahead, young and whole once more. "God speed, good friend,"
we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.
~unknown~
|
|
