Benjamin is out December 7, 2014 Pup of the Week

It was early in the morning when I got a page for another swearing in.  I went to my post and I saw Benjamin.  I was stunned.  I crouched down, grabbed his legs, and began to sob.

“That breaks rule number 9,” Benjamin said.  “No more rule breaking,” he said  “There’s a new Sheriff in town.”  

I looked up and saw the stars from the beautiful sky twinkle off his badge.

“I am sorry Benji,” I said, as he wiped my tears with the back of his paw.  I know we are not supposed to cry when we see one another, but I could feel all the pain from the mortal side of the river caused by Benjamin’s passing.  It passed over us like a dark thunder head then stopped, waves of sorrow thundering overhead, the ground shaking.

Benjamin stood on his hind legs looking up towards the cloud, so brave, so strong, the qualities he exuded on the mortal side of the Bridge, where he was appointed sheriff Doggyville and looked after each one of us keeping us from harm’s way.  He did the same for me at the top of the stairs, until, after what seemed like a fortnight, the cloud of sorrow dissipated into a driving rain of tears.

He patted my head when the cloud had passed.  I stood on my hind legs, the tears dripping from my robe and his Pomeranian hair, puddling at our feet, and soaking into our paw pads, so we would carry them forever.  I swore in my good friend, and took him for his wing fitting.  I don’t know if it was his police training or if someone had been teaching him how to fly in his dreams but he took right too it.

Then we went to Tommy’s mansion so he could check on his Mom.  The poor woman was quite broken.  Benjamin climbed up to the TV and tried to wipe his Mom’s tears on the screen with the back of his paw like he did mine.  He then climbed down and went to the couch where he curled up with a plate of freshly made donuts to eat away his sadness.

Tommy came out with a freshly baked batch of cronuts and asked Benjamin if he wanted some.  “I like donuts!” he barked with a mouth full of fried dough.

We understood.  Watching your Mom suffer is hard.  After he had his full of donuts Benjamin said he was going on his first patrol and asked me if I wanted to go with him.  I knew I was the biggest rule breaker of them all and was risking ending up at the Bridge Hoosgow for the night but I couldn’t abandon my friend and we ran outside, jumped in the air and flew like Alison Williams in the Peter Pan Live musical except without highly visible guide wires holding us up.

As Ben patrolled the land I asked him what kind of Sheriff he would be.  I know I am a rule breaker and did not want to have one of my oldest and dearest friends being an advisory.  “Why a Sheriff of fun, of course,” Benjamin answered.  We saw some pups under a tree looking bored.  Benjamin swooped down while I followed and then he dropped some magic dust on them and suddenly the dogs were running and playing.  After we flew back up to cruising altitude Benjamin told me it was his job to make sure we were all having fun while we waited for our parents.

“Out Moms could use some of that magic dust,” I said.  “They are very sad about us leaving.”

“They will be fine,” Ben said.  “Humans are amazingly resilient.  Their hearts get broken dozens of times during their lives.  They lose their parents, their siblings, their children, their friends, their pets, they see horrible tragedies, inexplicable injustices, they face financial ruin, and somehow they persevere.  They are truly remarkable and that’s why we love them.”

“It’s hard waiting for them,” I admitted.  “It doesn’t just seem like an eternity, it is one.  The whole system is messed up  Humans are terrible at saying goodbye and we are terrible at waiting.  I just hate it.”

Benjamin saw some more depressed dogs waiting for their parents and swooped down.  The Sheriff of Fun sprinkled them with dust and we watched them playing.  Ben then spotted a donut shop and went into a dive, once again hungry for his favorite treat.

I watched him entering the shop and thought the immortal side of the Bridge would be more fun with Benjamin as the Sheriff of Fun but the mortal side would be much sadder.  They could really use a Sheriff of Fun there instead of so many Ministers of Misery.

But while they suffer, and endure, on the mortal side we will be having fun here on the Immortal side.  

Lots of fun, and donuts.

Shakira is our November 30, 2014 Pup of the Week

I have had so many prayers to deal with lately.  Not that I am complaining.  It is a honor to be the one to convey my friends’ prayers to the Big Guy.  But I am getting confused. .  I have prayers and notes scattered everywhere.

I was trying to get them sorted when I noticed Shakira looking over me.  “Hi Shakira,” I said.  “You know I can never keep my prayers straight.”  Then I stopped and looked up.  “Shakira!”  I yelled.  I began to look through my prayers and could not find her name.  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Rule number two Foley,” a deep voice said.  I turned and saw one of my oldest friends, and a senior member of the Bridge Council, Shakira’s brother Angel Apollo, standing on a hill over us.  He ran down towards his sister.  Instead of running and playing together they just put their heads and paws next to one another and took comfort in the texture of their fur and familiar, long lost smell.

Rule number two was never ask a pup what they were doing at The Bridge because the answer was always the same.  I was never good at following the rules.  When Apollo and Shakira were done with their reunion I inquired again why I did not have more prayers and Shakira told me that Angel Apollo was handling her’s personally but, while she was sick, no one thought she was ready to cross the River of Life.

Five months ago Shakira was diagnosed with an ugly cancer.  Her doctor was confident that a drug known as Palladia would shrink the cancer cells and could even cure the cancer.  Sharkia and Apollo’s Mom  was hoping that the drug would give Shakira more time on the mortal side of life.

Everything was going great.  Shakira went from being a lethargic girl to the energenic one she had been her whole life.  She had some hair loss but it was an easy trade to be able to run like the wind again.  

But all drugs have side effects which no one pays attention to because they hardly ever happen.  Hardly…...With Shakira they happened.  The drugs caused her kidneys to shut down.  Once that happened Shakira’s Mom had no choice but to make the most difficult decision.  Shakira told us how grateful she was that her Mom made that decison and put her out of pain.

But I was still baffled about why the medicine did not work.  “Why would the Big Guy create a medicine to cure you and not have it work?” I asked.

Apollo grumbled about rule #3:  Never question the motives of The Big Guy.

“Well I think it sucks,” I said just to ruffle Apollo’s fur and make him remind me of rule #7.  Instead my old friend just sadly nodded.

Some dogs like to pick out a replacement either just before they cross the River of Life, or shortly afterwards but Shakira and Apollo don’t do anything small.  They didn’t pick out a pup, they picked out a whole pack.

Their Mom is one of the most wonderful dog rescuers we know.  Just before Shakira got called to the Bridge an unwed homeless Mother was taken in as a foster pup by Shakira’s Mom.  The Mom had her litter and Shakira’s mom sorrow has been softened by having a Lollipop and little pups running around her house dependent on her.  It was the perfect diversion to Shakira’s loss.

We went to Tommy’s house to watch over Shakira’s Mom and the pups to make sure they were safe.  Apollo has been a wonderful angel to her but with Shakira watching over her other shoulder she will be doubly blessed.  Then Apollo told Shakira there was something she had to see.

We went up and down several hills and then Shakira saw it and ran towards it.  Her old weeping willow that was in her yard until it got sick and had to be taken down this year stood proudly swinging in the breeze.  Shakira ran and curled underneath it.  Apollo followed her and the lay down wrapped around Shakira and they fell asleep with one another under the willow tree just as they had years before.

Home again.

(When I finished writing this blog I got a page for another swearing in.  I went to my post and I saw Benjamin.  I was stunned.  I crouched down, grabbed his legs, and began to sob.

“That breaks rule number 9,” a familiar voice said.  I turned to tell Apollo I didn’t care about the rules.  I looked up and realized it was Benjamin who was speaking.

“No more rule breaking,” he said  “There’s a new Sheriff in town.”  

I looked up and saw the stars from the beautiful sky twinkle off his badge.

TO BE CONTINUED…..)

A Pup Named Benjamin is our Pup of the Week

Although I don’t enjoy talking about it, each day, per my duties as a Judge in District A of Rainbow Bridge, I must go through the formality of swearing in dogs who have passed over from the mortal side of the River of Life to the eternal side.

Some of these dogs are happy, climbing the stairs from the Bridge cures them of everything that ailed them during their lives, and they are happy to leave the pain behind.  Others are sad about leaving their families, but, soon after being sworn in, when they meet their old pack and family members, those sad thoughts fade, the way a dream does the more you are awake.  And then there are those who are overjoyed because their Mommies, or their Daddies preceeded them across the River.

Some of the dogs were friends of mine when I frolicked on the mortal side, while others I become friendly with as we run through the giant fields, climb the mountains, or run through the quick dry puddles.  Usually the dogs I befriend after meeting for the first time at the swearing in are unknown to my Mommy, and, when I whisk down in her dreams to bring her for a short visit to the eternal side, I have to introduce them.

Which brings me to my new friend Benjamin.  A few days ago I saw this cute little beagle begin the climb.  He was quite hurt at he began his journey towards me and one of my clerks whispered to me that he had been hit by a car.  I shook my head sadly.  With each step he got better, until he arrived cured.

He was such a respectful and friendly chap I invited him back to my chambers.  He told me his name was Benjamin and he had a wonderful Mom named Rachel who he picked out be to his Mom when he was 8 weeks old.  His Mom was not able to have human children so Benjamin was her child.  He lived with his Mom like I did with mine, like peas and carrots, which no one can separate.  Their favorite activity was watching the sunrise together.

And then, after many happy years together, Benjamin knew his song was ending.  So he did what all Angels do, he looked for somepup to take care of his Mom, and found a precious pup named Bella.  Although she didn’t know why (no Moms under their pup’s influence do) she adopted Bella.  Shortly after that Benjamin was taken to the vets as the reason for his song ending was revealed:  He had cancer.

Three weeks later the Angels came to take Benjamin.  He said he didn’t want to go, but he was told each pup is only given so many heart beats and he had used his up.  Knowing it was time to go, and not wanting to cost his family with expense of the expensive last days of cancer, Benjamin took to the street, where he was clipped by a car, and whisked away by the angels.  

Benjamin and I have sat on the grassy knoll and discussed his decision.  He know his passing was horrific for his family.  Sudden, violent passing often is.  But he didn’t want his Mom to have to make the decision of when to let him go.  He hopes he was being compassionate.  It is so hard to be compassionate when you are parting with the love of your life.  

I think Benjamin’s heart was then, as it is now, pure.  He hopes his Mom understands.  He was out of heartbeats.  And when it comes to heartbeats the last one is nowhere near as important as the ones that came before, that beat in sync with your Mom.  But he doesn’t want his Mom to feel guilty about the way he passed over.    His time was up, he had to go, and there was nothing anyone could do about that.

So now Benjamin will do what I am doing.  When we were both on the mortal side of the Bridge we were our Mom’s Angels taking care of them, now we are at the Bridge and we look over them night and day.  And, like I have done with River, teaching her how to do all the things Mommy loves while not reminding Mommy too much of me, Benjamin will do with Bella.

And Benjamin’s Mom needs to remember he is always an angel on her shoulder.