Meredith and Abbey

i got this in an email. being an animal-person, as well as a sucker for heart-warming stories, thought i'd share this simple one.



Meredith and Abbey


This is one of the kindest things you may ever see..

It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US 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 yet. 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'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,

God"


reading this made me think of my fluffball, sara *loves*. she's still healthy and prancing around, but then again, she's 8 this year and that's "getting-on" in dog years. sigh... not that much time left with her unless she lives to a VERY ripe old age like Abbey. she may be more than we bargained for when we first brought back this wee little black pup which grew up and started destroying everything we owned, and acts like the real master of the house while at it. but a dog somehow completes a family. can't imagine living without one.

anyway... heheh...

the thing i wanted to say before i got sidetracked, is that, love works in the smallest actions and gestures. you may not see it, but who knows... you just made someone a little happier. love is my mom skyping with me every week without fail, or my sister letting me bring over some of her clothes, even the ones that she likes.


and to end this on a 'not-so-soppy' note, the annual tea party is today. great. more drunk people roaming the streets in broad daylight. like they need to have more reason to get totaled. and i have the misfortune to have class *grumblegrumble*