Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Momma June Joins Ruby Rose at the Bridge

 

From the time Ruby Rose arrived at Rainbow Bridge less than a year ago she has been very secretive.  One of her goals was to build a home overlooking the river that exactly resembled her one on the mortal side.  She spent all her time managing the minions so the home was precisely like she remembered.  We thought she was doing this for herself but this week we learned differently.

I got a text message from the human angels saying that one of their souls had chosen to pass over at the dog section.  This was very exciting news.  One of our lucky friends would be reunited with their mom.  When a dog is at the Bridge you desperately want to see them again but when the news of their pending arrival is told to an angel it is received as a double-edged sword.

It is our duty as dogs to make sure that nothing bad happens to our parents.  When a dog becomes an angel they get special abilities to protect their people.  The responsibility to take care of a human is a full-time job.  But that is okay.  We are immortal for eternity, we have lots of time to kill.   So why not invest it in protecting the ones who love the most?

All parents come to the Bridge eventually.  But we dogs still feel like failures when they do.  It is like having your favorite team lose the Super Bowl but you made money because you bet the under.  It is bitter-sweet in the extremist.

When Ruby Rose found out her mom would be joining her at the Bridge she was not as upset as I expected. Ruby said she knew for some time that her mom June would be following her. That is one of the reasons why she left the mortal side. She needed to fix up her true forever home.  Her Mom had been very ill before Ruby passed.  The little angel did give her more time but her mom's quality of life was nil.  For Ruby, it was both joyful and a relief to know her mother would be joining her.

When June crossed the Bridge Ruby, plus all the people and animals she had loved in the world were waiting.  She looked frail as she slowly made her way over the Bridge.  But with each step, she became younger and healthier until she had fully crossed over and was the young woman who walked the Earth in her 20s.  Any regret she had about her passing was washed away with the pain, illness, and old age.  When she saw her angels led by Ruby the woman who had been bed-bound just a day before ran up the stairs happily to join them.

Then I witnessed one of the happiest reunions I have seen in quite some time.  While June was overjoyed to see all her loved ones and gave hugs and kisses to them all her hand never left Ruby's head as their unbreakable bond continued into a new life.

I have seen Ruby and Jane taking long walks at the Bridge, exactly as they had on the mortal side, except there was no pain or fear: Just love.  It is all that is allowed here.

Foley Monster's Tales From Rainbow Bride: Penny and the Tornado ride

 

I have accomplished a lot in my life, but I have never got to ride a tornado.

    I think it is because I calculated the possibility of a Yorkie surviving one, and I did not like the odds.  But that was before I met Penny.

    Penny and her mom were huddled in bed together in their home as a tornado ripped towards their neighborhood.  Penny’s mom continued to tell her it would be okay, even if she didn’t believe it. Suddenly, Penny stood straight up. She was so attentive her mom thought there was an intruder in the house.  Then she heard the sound of a freight train chugging to their home.

    Suddenly, the tornado turned toward Penny and her mom’s abode.  The mirrors flew off the walls, and then the entire structure was lifted.  Penny’s mom adored her, but there was a soul in the house she loved more.  Her son was sleeping in an adjourning room.  Penny’s mom hurried to protect her son, leaving the Yorkie alone.  

    The back bedroom wall was ripped from the house, and everything in it, including Penny, was sucked out of the back of the house.  Memory, her mom, turned back and witnessed Penny, caught up in the sheets and flying into the storm.

    Memory was sure that Penny had been killed, but she could not show any emotion, knowing it would further traumatize her already frightened son if she told him of Penny’s fate.  Memory promised her son that the little dog would be okay because animals knew how to survive storms.  She would deal with Penny’s passing later.

    As you have already surmised, Penny was blown to Rainbow Bridge.  I was waiting to swear her in when she came by on the tornado.  We brought a ladder to help her down, but she refused to use it.  She was yelling like a cowboy riding a bull.   Penny said she wasn’t ready to cross over yet, at least not until the fun ride stopped.

    Then the tornado turned back to the mortal world.  I sat down to wait.  I knew Penny would return, but this time dragging her broken body out of the River of Life.  Her being swept to the Bridge was mercy, which she did not take advantage of, and would surely lead to a painful passing.  

    Penny rode the tornado as it gradually lost strength.  It slowed down and lessened.  Before the tornado lifted from the ground, Penny slid down like it was a water slide.   She landed on the ground and used her Yorkie skills to sniff her way home. 

 She was in for a shock when she arrived home.  The bedroom wall was gone.  She ran to the bouse and sniffed around the foundation, hoping to find a whiff of her family when she heard her mom scream out her name and come running to her. Penny’s family was stunned she arrived, and gave her one million kisses.  The only sign that Penny had been through an ordeal was a bit of grass on her forehead.

During these difficult times when tragedies are piling up like firewood outside a mountain cabin in January, it is good to have a feel-good story, and nothing makes people feel better than a flying Yorkie. 

 

Pocket and River Argue Over Who Should be a Presidential Dog

 

Pocket and River are opposites. It is incredible they get along as well as they do.  One of the issues that separate them is politics.  Sweet Pocket believes the wealth should be shared. River thinks that she has the right to keep everything that is hers. That is why Pocket shares her kibble, and River doesn't.  It is a classic battle of socialism vs. capitalism.  

When River and Pocket are left alone, River likes to use her iPaw to watch conservative news programs finding it comforting to hear her extreme beliefs parroted by others.  When Newsmax hosts Greg Kelly and historian Craig “Don't Call Me,” Shirley, in desperate search of something to criticize the new administration about attacked Champ, the first rescue dog in the White House, for looking like a dirty junkyard dog.  It was expected that both Pocket and River would be offended by the officious comment.  That proved to be only half true.

Pocket was incensed and immediately prayed for a flock of well-fed birds to fly over both men and poop on their talking heads so much that it slipped beneath their masks into their mouths. She was sure her sister would second that emotion.  Instead, River agreed that Champ did not look presidential; in fact, she maintained that none of the dogs who ever lived in the White House did and that there was only one dog in the world who looked presidential:  Her.

"What makes you so darn Presidential?" Pocket asked.

"Just look at me," River countered, standing and accenting her profile.   "I look exactly like Ulysses S. Grant and James Garfield combined.  My confidence, my bearing, my sweet mustache and beard, they make me look presidential."

Pocket studied her sister.  "I don't see it.  Although you do look a little bit like Trump from behind."

River snapped at her sister.  "Don't knock him. He was the greatest president of my lifetime."

"You've been alive eight years.  I don't think you have had a lot of Presidents to compare him to.  Besides, Trump doesn't even have a dog."

"He didn't need a dog. He had Eric."

"Regardless, a presidential dog doesn't have to look like a president.  It needs to look like a dog."

"And don't I look like a dog?"

“No, you look like Rutherford B. Hayes after a failed assassination attempt that caused him to fall in the Potomac.  And aren't you upset the News Max commentators judged a dog only by their looks?"

"You are right there, Pocket. I do not judge dogs by their looks; I judge them by the size of their nostrils."

“Your nostrils are smaller than the openings in a salt shaker.”

    “Exactly.”

    “I would make a good Presidential dog,” Pocket boasted.

    “You?  You’re so small you look like you belong on a shelf and should be dusted twice a week.”

    “I think it is time for a small dog in the Oval.”

    “You would be a disaster!  There would be no difference between the Oval Office and the restroom with your bad belly and urinary accidents.  Joe’s eyesight is going faster than his mental acuity. He would walk into the press room knee-deep in poop and leaving pee prints.  And you’d get us into a world war when Xi Jin Ping slipped and your poop and lost face.”

“How do you lose face slipping on poop?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t want to find out as we’re all on an express trip to the Bridge when the big one is dropped.”

“You might be right; we are better off here.”

“Undoubtedly.  But I would have made a great Presidential dog.”

“Me too.”

“No, you wouldn’t.
“Neither would you.”

And so they continued to argue until supper was served.  In the

dog world, food always brings peace.  

Wordless Wednesday

 

Beat This Caption

  

Does anybody want to guess where I'm sticking my nose next?

Monday Question

 

Tell me about your tail.  How big is it? When does it wag? Does it happen frequently or only on special occasions?

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Rogue: The Rescue Who Thought it was Too Good to be True

 

Age is never a dog's friend.  We have a short time on Earth and can't waste a day, never mind a year.  Being in a shelter is wasted time.  The irony is the older you are, the more likely you will remain homeless.  Every day makes your likelihood of adoption more remote. 

At seven years of age and living in a shelter, Rogue knew his life was wasting away.  Being a large and cumbersome dog did not aid his chances.  The country turned to small lap dogs who could use their cuteness to their advantage when people came looking for a dog. 

Rogue had been interviewed by angels before but had never been chosen to replace them in their family's hearts.  Frankly, he was getting discouraged with the entire process. He was beginning to think it was his destiny to live the rest is his life in a cage.  He could deal with that, but the thought of being unloved at the Bridge for eternity kept him awake so night. 

That is why he was skeptical of his chances of getting adopted when new angel Kane came to interview him.  Kane immediately recognized that Rogue was a dog that would thrive living on a farm, protecting the land from vermin, and being a good company at the end of the day. 

Two hours after the interview, Kane returned to tell Rogue that the next day his father would come and adopt him and let him live out the rest of his years on a big farm.  Kane was slightly taken aback by Rogue's lack of enthusiasm.  That night Rogue shared why he was not excited about his shelter-mates.  

"They are sending me to a farm where I can play in the fields all day and protect the land from varmints," Rogue said dejectedly. 

“That sounds awesome,” a  recently surrendered beagle named Buddy in the adjoining cage said.

“Don’t you know when they tell you that you are going to live on a farm and play with the bunnies that you are actually going to the Bridge?”

“I don’t think the nice angel would have lied to you.”

“Bah, I’ve been lied to by plenty of angels. They say I am on the shortlist to be adopted, and then someone else gets picked.”

“I think this time it will be different.”

“Well, we will have to see tomorrow.  I am sure the man who comes for me will be Death.”

When Kane’s dad, having been instructed by his angels, arrived at the shelter, Rogue looked at Benny and said, “I told it was death.”  

Thankfully Rogue could not have been more wrong if he had been a White House COVID advisor in the teens.  The man put Rogue in his vehicle and brought him to an actual farm.  Rogue got out and met his new sister Daisy who showed him that Kane’s promise was true.  He got to run in fields, chase bunnies, and protect the land.  Then he came inside, ate the best meal of his life, and slept on the most comfortable piece of furniture ever.  

That night, when, for the first time he could remember, he went to bed warm, well-fed, and comfortable, Kane came to visit him.  Rogue apologized for not being more grateful when he was chosen.  His new life was everything Kane said it would be and more.  He thanked the angel for saving him.

Kane told him he was welcome and thanked him for saving his family.  Rogue had never been more proud in his life, and he finally had a family.  

River Tries to Melt all the Snow

 

I don't think two dogs in the world hate snow as much as River and Pocket.  As soon as they get outside, they're pulling to come back indoors.  Frankly, I find their behavior embarrassing in the extremist.  They wouldn't have lasted ten seconds as a wolf.

River has become so fed up with winter she prayed for it to go away.  Of course, I intercepted the request.  If the other angels knew my sister was filing a frivolous prayer request, a violation of the prayer rules, I would never live it down.  

I went into her dreams and told her that when I was young and lived at the condo, Blake and I would drink extra water in the winter and then pee on the snow, causing it to melt. I suggested to River that she and Pocket do the same.

Of course, I had created the story as a prank.  I needed to teach my sister to only use prayers as a last resort.  I didn't expect her to embrace the idea wholeheartedly.

The next morning she told Pocket they needed to drink as much as possible to melt all the snow.  Pocket looked at River and asked if it was my idea.

"Of course, I prayed to our angel sister, and she kindly instructed me how to melt the offending snow."

"Foley lies," Pocket said correctly and succulently.

"She is our guardian angel," River argued. "She is not allowed to lie!"

Sweet, innocent, gullible River, how I do love her.  

At first, Pocket refused to drink any extra water, but she soon fell victim to the River stare, and like an alcoholic just receiving her one month chip, she bellied up to the bowl and did a shot of our finest water.

The difference between River and Pocket, or Pocket and any other dog, is that her bladder holds less pee than her mouth holds water.  When Pocket puts liquid in, some must be expelled. Like a ticking time bomb, you usually have a minute to get Pocket outside after she pees. If you don't, then Pocket piddles a puddle in the parlor.

Pocket did not get out in time and peed on the floor. This made you angry, and you yelled at her.  This caused a nervous Pocket to pee more, much to River’s delight and mine as well.

It became apparent that Pocket would be no help in the impossible task of melting the snow with pee.  River tried to do it herself but soon learned her bladder did not contain the necessary volume.  River could not do it alone. 

The next time River went out, she peed for two minutes, only melted a couple of inches, and then decided to create a team.  She knocked on the skirt under the house.  When Ugly Joan stuck her head out, River asked her if she could pee on the snow to melt it.  “I don’t pee on the snow,” Joan said.  “I am not an animal.”

The next morning River got out of bed and barked at the turkeys who hunt in our back yard for food each morning.  She asked them to pee on the snow.  “We’re turkeys.  We don’t pee,” the flock leader squeaked.  River told them that they were silly, everyone pees.  “Have you ever seen a turkey pee?” he asked.  Befuddled, River admitted she didn’t. “Then leave us alone,” the turkey said. 

I was feeling bad for River, so I made it rain the next evening. By the time River awoke, the snow was gone.  She gave a loud, excited yip and told Pocket that she had melted the snow with her pee.  Pocket did not think that was true but congratulated her anyway, not wanting to argue early in the morning.  

I am going to let River think she melt the snow for a while.  She could use a victory. 

 

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Tilly's Hospital Visit

Everyone who has lost a soul to the Bridge wishes they had one more visit with their missing loved one.  A dog named Tilly may have got that wish this week.  

    Colin Woodford, an 80-year-old man who lived alone with Tilly, became separated from her when he was diagnosed with a severe lung infection and soon was fighting for his life in the local hospital’s intensive care unit.  He was not afraid of dying but was worried he would never see his beloved dog again.

    Tilly was being cared for by Colin’s niece Amber, his closest family member.  She visited Colin every day.  It was hard for her to determine who was more depressed by the separation, her uncle or the dog.  

    Amber contacted the hospital with a proposition:  Her uncle was suffering from severe depression, which hindered his recovery. The only remedy for his condition was to see Tilly.  Amber convinced the hospital staff to allow the visit. 

    Amber thought that the wish being granted was a miracle.  Of course, when one occurs, we must look to the angels, who are the miracles’ keepers.  

 Tilly sent hundreds of prayers to us, asking that she be allowed to see her dad.  I waited until our weekly judge meeting to decide how to proceed. We agreed that angel visits were needed.  Instead of sending a random angel, I suggested we appoint the dogs who belonged to the hospital administrators and passed to the Bridge to persuade their parents to allow Tilly’s visit. 

Thankfully, the people who ran the hospital could not say no to their dogs, even in angel form, and they approved the visit.  When I went into Tilly’s dreams to tell her the visit was approved, she barked so loudly she woke herself up.  

Unlike Tilly, Colin had no idea of the dog’s visit or why, the next morning, he was put into a wheelchair, removed from his room, and taken down to the lobby.  He was sick, tired, and depressed.  Colin just wanted to be left alone.  But, that attitude changed when he arrived in the lobby.  

Collin got to the lobby, where he saw Amber holding a leash with Tilly at the end.  The woman released her grip on the lead, and Tilly broke free, then jumped on Collin’s lap, who greeted the dog with tears in the eyes.  

    It touched the hearts of Amber and the workers who gathered to see the reunion.  For a short amount of time, as Collin and Tilly snuggled together, all the world’s problems were gone. What mattered was the love between man and dog. 

    They visited for over a half-hour.  They never shared a word, but lots of licks and kisses.  Before they parted, Collin promised that they would be together again.  The visit had given Collin the strength to fight and get better.  

    We, angels, hope that word of how Tilly helped Collin spreads across the world.  There are all sorts of illnesses across the globe and medications to fight them, but nothing heals like a dog’s love.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

 

Nearly Wordless Wednesday. Pocket says they are the best treats anywhere. Buy them at www.ILoveYourDog.net

 

 
 

Beat This Caption

 

And it was on this day that Timmy learned why his mother told him to never give a snowman oral.

Monday Question

Do your parents consider how people treat their pets when they are determining who they will be friends with?  Have your parents had friends who mistreated animals?  Have they said something to them?  Have they continued to be their friends?  Please answer below.

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Shep Arrives at Rainbow Bridge

 

Shep bounded over Rainbow Bridge like he had hellhounds on his tail. He ran up the steps and came to a skidding stop at Hobo's Landing, where I waited to give him the Angel Oath.  I had not known Shep when I was mortal. I befriended him after I accepted a judgeship and went to the Bridge. Still, he recognized me and, upon doing so, began to wag his tail frantically.

"Angel Foley" he exclaimed.  "I thought you were at the Bridge.  What are you doing here?"

I had seen this happen before.  Sometimes a passing is so traumatic that an angel doesn't remember crossing over.  It is like when a person is in a bad car accident.  The mind makes the memory disappear to protect itself.  It was up to the greeting angel, in this case, me, to break the news to the newest arrival that their mortal life had ended.  It was tough because I knew Shep lived an exemplary life.

His mom simply adored him, and he her.  They were best friends from the first moment they met. They navigated the last decade, one of the most tumultuous in history side by side.  No matter what life threw at them, no hand could beat their pair.  But now, they would have to continue their trek without one another.  The question is, how could either go forward?

The answer to that question is the angels who await their humans.  First, we had to ease Shep's pain.  Then together, we could start to mend his mom's, broken heart.  

I gently took Shep by the paw and led him back down to the River of Life.  There he could see all the memories he had living with his mom.  The final one was of him gently going to sleep in her arms.

Shep spoke bluntly.  "Well, that sucks." He had summed up crossing over better than anyone I  knew.  He insisted on seeing how his mom was doing.  I was reluctant, knowing that viewing her would only push Shep further into depression.  But there is a long tradition that an angel judge can never deny a request on a dog's arrival day.  I shook my paw in the water, and the scene changed to his morose mom.

"I have to go back," Shep said excitedly.  I told him that he was not allowed to do that, at least in corporal form, and that I would convene a panel of angels to give him a crash course on how to heal his mom.  

I assembled a group of angels who cured their mom's blues in record time.  They each passed on valuable tips to Shep about visiting his mom as a bird,  in dreams,  or even as a ghost. He was also instructed how to leave clues in her subconscious and the house to show he had been there and to make it something personal so she would know.   That night the angels took him into his mom's dreams, where he began repairing the damage done.  

Shep took to the lessons right away.  He is already easing his mom's pain in ways she can't imagine.  All parents, after they travel griefs difficult road, come out to the other end stronger.  That is some super-secret angel strength on display.

Pocket and River Song Coach Team's Ruff and Fluff at the Puppy Bowl

The Puppy Bowl is usually a feel-good occasion where shelter dogs play together, are amazingly cute, and hopefully get adopted. But this year, it turned into a blood feud, but because Pocket was coaching team Fluff while River was leading team Ruff.

The coaching positions were usually honorary, but River is exceptionally competitive and, having lost a debate last week, was determined to win the bowl game. Pocket, unaware of her sister’s obsession with victory, told her chargers to have fun, be cute, and get adopted.

The week before the game, while Pocket slept, River snuck out of the house and held puppy bowl practice. She made her players run for hours, lift weights with their mouths, and practice peeing on command, in case any member of Team Fluff broke into the open field, and the lone dog back needs a way to slow down the puppy.

When the teams took the field, Pocket’s group entered wearing their cute Puppy Bowl shirts, and Team Ruff, lead by River, wearing black uniforms, and howling “Mean machine” in unison. On his way to their sideline Butkus, a team Ruff linebacker stopped to take a dump on the team Fluff sideline, a classic intimidation tactic perfected by Rob Gronkowski. He pooped on the opponent’s sideline for three straight Super Bowls. He went unpunished because no one could prove that Gronk wasn’t just confused about what a toilet was.

Team Fluff was not prepared for River’s defensive strategy of stuff and hump; if Pocket’s offense wasn’t cut off before they could advance the ball, they were getting caught from behind and humped. When Team Ruff was on offense, five pugs ran in front of the ball carrier, clearing out Team Fluff’s defenders. By halftime, Team Ruff was up by five touchdowns.

Pocket knew she needed to make some changes to gain the upper hand. She made a phone call, and just before the second half started, her secret weapon arrived, Chunky Monkey, a chow Irish Red mix, who was twice as large as the other pups, joined Team Pocket.

Chunky got the ball first. River’s squad could neither catch him nor hump him, and he quickly scored. When Team Ruff had the ball, and they were running downfield, blocking every dog in their path, Chunky laid down, impeding forward progress. He was too big to run around; the exhausted Team Ruff soon lost the ball.

On the sidelines, River was furious. Her well-coached machine could not stop Chunky. She needed a plan to get him off the field and hoped her defense would hold until her idea came to fruition.

Thanks to Chunky’s outstanding play, Team Fluff opened a two-touchdown lead late in the game, when River called timeout and introduced Chunky to his new parents. River had located them, living nearby watching the game, and learned they had fallen for the big dog. River arranged for them to come to the stadium and adopt Chunky. Everyone cheered, thinking that River had done a selfless act by finding a dog on the other team a forever home, but Pocket knew that River’s only reasoning was to win.

Team Ruff scored three quick touchdowns while Chunky celebrated with his new parents. There were less than ten seconds left in the game, and River’s squad was up by five points. Team Fluff needed a touchdown, but half Pocket’s team was napping. To fill out, her team she would have to play or forfeit.

Pocket took the ball at the goal line with the Ruffs surrounding her. She began to run forward and sneaked under her opponent’s legs until she was in the clear. It looked like Pocket would score the game-winning touchdown when River ran on the field and bit her tail, keeping her an inch away from the goal line.

The dogs from both sides were cheering on their coaches, but after a half-hour of the sisters fighting over the last inch of the playing field, the teams got tired and went to sleep. 

If you walk past the stadium, you will still see Pocket and River, fighting over that one inch of ground, both refusing to concede. They may be there until next year’s game.

Jesse and Baby Girl Find a Better World

  Jesse, a homeless man, and his dog Baby Girl became well known in eastern Detroit.   While Jesse charmed onlookers with his quick wit and gifts as a tale-teller, Baby Girl delighted the crowd by riding on a skateboard while wearing sunglasses and barking, “I love you.”

    Their efforts were especially appreciated during the pandemic when people searched for a distraction.  A black and white bulldog on a skateboard wearing glasses certainly fit the bill. 

    Their favorite spot was the Harbortown market entrance, where they performed for people entering the shopping centers,  restaurants, and nearby offices. 

    Daphne Johnson befriended the man.  She considered him to be kind and sweet.  She leaned on him for advice about her Pomeranian and encouraged him to start a dog walking, training, or cleaning business.

When he and Baby Girl weren’t entertaining the masses, they lived in a tent pitched by the river.  Before falling on hard times, he worked as a dog trainer on the east coast and dreamed of being the next Eminem.  He loved his only son, to work on cars and to blare music.  His father maintains it was during this period that he fell on hard times.  He was just in his teens when he was arrested for the first of many drug offenses and given a prison sentence.    

    The criminal record made it hard to find work, and Jesse bounced from one low paying job to the other. It was during that time that he and Baby Girl found one another.  After Jesse got in a fight, they fled to Detriot, fearing he broke probation and would go back to jail.

    Jesse found a paying job working restoring houses and guarding a restoration business at night.  The money wasn’t enough for a home but was for food, which Jesse gladly shared with Baby Girl. 

    Jesse maintained a Facebook page.  He posted updates from the public computer at the library.  His last entry warned of a violent sexual offender who was pretending to be homeless.  

    A few days later, Jesse did not show up for work at the restoration shop, and his absences were reported to the police.   

    At 6 PM on December 10, Jesse’s body was found in the 6400 block of East Jefferson Street.  He had been beaten and shot in the head.  Baby Girl was with him, also wounded, but the injuries did not seem mortal.  Baby Girl was brought to the vet, where sadly, she passed before a doctor could exam her. 

    People who grew to know and love Jesse and Baby Girl mourned their passing.  If they knew what was awaiting the duo who brought joy to so many, their sorrow would be abated.

    Baby Girl arrived at the Bridge a few minutes after Jesse did, although the way they acted when being reunited, an observer would have thought they had been separated for decades.  I had the honor of showing them the mansion they would be living in as a reward for bringing happiness to so many strangers.  Any sins committed by Jesse had been forgiven.  They would never want for anything again.   The mortal world may have punished them, but they received their beautiful reward in the immortal world.  

    Their time on Earth was sad, and now their lives are filled with happiness.  I know it is a human’s job to stay alive as long as possible, but when a life has been challenging, and the departed has beauty in their hearts, while you mourn, be happy because the suffering is over. All that lays before them is happily ever after. 

    Always remember to live your life the proper way.  The mortal side may be challenging, but the reward will be worth it.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Beat This Caption

 Arthur tried reaching Marge his secretary for a half hour when he realized he was talking into a lamp.

Monday Question

 Can you tell when your parents are sad, or mad, and do you react to it?

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Max Discovers the Love you Get is Equal to the love you make

 

When we were tasked with taking care of humans, we were given several gifts to aid us in our work.  The most useful tool is the ability to calm people with barely any effort.  Just by placing our heads on a knee or merely leaning against a person can provide all the support they need.  Those dogs who study to become professional therapy dogs are incredibly talented in comforting sad humans.  Max, a 6-year-old Rottweiler, is such a dog, which is why when he was diagnosed with cancer, he received outstanding support from those he had helped.  

Max was adopted by a family that had dedicated their lives to public service.  He lived with Jan and Brian  Beamer, two Navy veterans who met in Japan before moving back to the states.  One day, when Max was out with his parents, a trainer noticed him.  He immediately identified Max’s unique personality and ability to find people in emotional peril and support them.  He approached Brian and Jan about Max becoming a service dog.  Since the duo served in the military to help others, they thought it only fitted that their dog does the same.

No matter who he is dealing with, students, first responders, veterans, and seniors, Max greeted them by placing his muzzle against them and taking a deep breath, calming breath.  After a rapid training program, Max began working as a proper theory dog.  He made more than one thousand visits to people during his career, and nothing made him happier than helping a human.  When COVID spread across the world, Max had to stop his visits, much to the chagrin of everyone, but mostly to Max himself, who fell into a depression now that he was housebound. 

While on lockdown Max’s parents noticed that he had developed a limp.  They thought he had injured himself.  They took him to the vet, who rendered an unexpected verdict:  Max had bone cancer.  To save his life, he has the leg removed and underwent chemotherapy.  

Word spread throughout his village that Max needed the same support he had provided for so many others.  The Beamers received cards, messages, prayers, and meals while Max was recuperating and, without their knowledge, started a Go Fund Me page for them. 

There is only one being who can bring joy and comfort to souls like a dog, and that is a child.  Children flocked to the Beamer home to spend time with Max. Their efforts to cheer him up worked perfectly.  They provided a chance for him to perform his favorite duty, listening to children while reading to him.  

Despite facing life as a tri-paw, Max’s future looks bright.  The doctors say he is cancer-free. His parents set up a Facebook page for his followers to stay abreast of his condition. 

I  visited Max in his dreams.  He told me how grateful he is for all the people who have visited, and cared for him, as he did for them.  While Max recognized that dogs were put on Earth to help humans, he told me he thinks people were made to help dogs, based on how much they have helped him.

Max might be right.  All the good I have in my life comes from humans.  Our relationship may be more symbiotic than I believed.