This little poem has helped me many times I hope it can lend you some comfort.
“He Only Picks The Best”
Many times we’ve missed you,
A million times we’ve cried.
If love could have saved you,
You never would have died.
It breaks our hearts to lose you,
But you did not go alone.
For a part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.
We did not see you suffer,
There was no cure to be.
He closed his arms around you,
And whispered come to me.
For all that you went through,
He saw you needed rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful,
For He only picks the best!
By Adrienne Vander Woude
Please, God, if you hear a scratch,
On the pearly gates tonight;
A gentle whine, a muffled bark,
Have Peter take a light
And open up the portals
And call her spirit in,
For we think she lived in Heaven once,
Please take her back again
I ONLY WANTED YOU
Author unknown
They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.
A million times I needed you,
a million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you,
you never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.
If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I’d walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.
Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.
Rites of Passage
Some of the most poignant moments I spend as a veterinarian are those spent with my clients assisting the transition of my animal patients from this world to the next. When living becomes a burden, whether from pain or loss of normal functions, I can help a family by ensuring that their beloved pet has an easy passing. Making this final decision is painful, and I have often felt powerless to comfort the grieving owners. That was before I met Shane.
I had been called to examine a ten-year-old blue heeler named Belker who had developed a serious health problem. The dog’s owners - Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane - were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane could learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me - I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, “Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody and being nice, right?” The four-year-old continued, “Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”
By Robin Downing, D.V.M
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