Best Friends

[Nanci]

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road.. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."

The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, as he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," he answered.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

[Selkie]

Nanci - Thanks for posting this. :-)

[Nanci]

Isn't it sweet? That'll be me and Dillbird, that's for sure. He's my best friend, ever, been through _everything_ with me.

Nanci

[tprevost]

very cool

t~

[Lise]

That's great. I hope to find myself walking along that road with Schatzi (the dachshund) and Orphan Annie, the English Setter, and Isaac and Ariel, the best cats in the world. L.

[Nanci]

Did you guys ever read that book, Lovely Bones, about the teenage girl who gets raped and murdered and then looks down on her family from heaven on the events that follow her death? One of my favorite books, and an excellent viewpoint on eternity.

If I am re-united in heaven with all my beloved pets, from my entire life, I can't even imagine the menagerie. I'd need a whole continent to contain them! It would be...heaven!

Nanci

[MomOnBike]

If I ever find myself riding along the road on my old upright bike with Vrka on leash running beside me, I'll know that I've died and already gone to heaven, all the knocking on Pearly Gates business having been dispensed with. {sigh}

[slinky1]

Thank you for this post! I have two wonderful dogs, Jenna and Gauge, with whom I hope to be reunited one day. To all three of us, heaven would be a wide open farm.

I have read Lovely Bones. Wonderful, heart-rending, and thought provoking. I highly recommend it!

[bikerchick68]

nanci that is great... thanks for posting... will cross post in a pet forum I frequent too!