I am taking the week off from blogging, i will leave you this nice story.PS: This is not the dog in the story.
I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a kind soul working in the dead letter office of the U.S. Postal Service.
Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to Heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:
Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in Heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her, you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith
We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to Heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter. Yes, I told her that I thought He had.
Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, "When a Pet Dies." Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:
Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays In your heart. Abbey loved being your dog.
Since we don't need our bodies in Heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I am wherever there is love.
Love, God
10 comments:
God Bless the kind soul, it is really sweet.
I have a great deal of sympathy for your daughter and her loss.
However, children should not be taught lies about a supposed 'afterlife' to relieve their pain. It is psychologically healthy that children (and everyone) endure the grieving process and accept the fact that all living things are mortal.
Life is precious precisely because it does end.
"I have a great deal of sympathy for your daughter and her loss."
It's obvious that you have sympathy.
What an arrogant, no-it-all, sanctimonious jerk.
I don't even believe in God but that was very nice.
(sniff)(sniff)
"However, children should not be taught lies about a supposed 'afterlife' to relieve their pain. It is psychologically healthy that children (and everyone) endure the grieving process and accept the fact that all living things are mortal."
Believing in heaven and hell do not teach that living beings aren't mortal. There is absolutely no harm in believing there is a better place for worthy souls. It reinforces the idea of mortality.
People like you think you're very smart because you don't believe in something that can't be proven. So you feel free to bust the chops of those that do. That says alot about you, and it isn't good.
However, children should not be taught lies about a supposed 'afterlife' to relieve their pain. It is psychologically healthy that children (and everyone) endure the grieving process and accept the fact that all living things are mortal.
It's what they used to call a white lie. I'm an atheist and I even I know that all dogs go to heaven.
I was always accused of not being sensitive... that was really nice. I'm going to go hug my dogs now.
Well, dogs are better than humans. So if your dogs got some extra lovin' because of this post, then I'm happy.
bradinsb-
How true, in so many ways...
oh man, all I wanto say is- wow that was a reaaaaaalllly beautiful post, thank you author of blog- and thank you wherver you are wonderful postmaster or mistress, what an angel.
And thank you God.
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