[Faith-talk] Your Pets In Heaven by Ken D. Conover

[Paul Smith]

The following may seem controversial to some, but I'm posting it for 
the benefit of those readers who had, or still have, pets or service animals.

To have loved and then said farewell, is better than to have never 
loved at all.  For all of the times that you have stooped and touched 
my head, fed me my favorite treat that I so unconditionally gave to 
you.  For the care that you gave to me so unselfishly.  For all of 
these things I am grateful and thankful.

I ask that you not grieve for the loss, but rejoice in the fact that we 
lived, loved and touched each other's lives.  My life was fuller 
because you were there, not as a master/owner, but as my FRIEND.

Today I am as I was in my youth.  The grass is always green, 
butterflies flit among the flowers and the sun shines gently down upon 
all of God's creatures.  I can run, jump, play and do all of the things 
that I did in my youth.  There is no sickness, no aching joints and no 
regrets and no aging.

We await the arrival of our lifelong companions and know that 
togetherness is forever.  You live in our hearts as we do in yours.  
Companions such as you are so rare and unique.  Don't hold the love 
that you have within yourself.  Give it to another like me and then I 
will live forever.  For love never really dies, and you are loved and 
missed as surely as we are.

And there you have this bit of reminiscence for today.  Here in the 
Baltimore-Washington metro area, if you are a fan of local radio, a 
beloved talk show host had his funeral which was broadcast over station 
WCBM live.  I just couldn't hear the entire funeral Mass because Tom 
Marr, a fixture locally for at least 40 years, believed in helping 
people.  He even reached out to me back in 2009 when I first took my 
first baby steps with a computer.  No, he didn't teach me how to do 
this and that on this machine, but just encouraged me in my writing 
ability, for which I'm eternally grateful.  Anyone interested in 
learning about his many and varied life experiences in addition to his 
talk show forays can visit his website (assuming it's still up there) at
http://www.tommarr.com.
I hope that, even if you've never heard of him before, that you will be 
as inspired and encouraged as I was when I visited the site for the 
first time several months ago.

And that will do it for today.  Until tomorrow when, Lord willing 
another article of an inspiring and uplifting nature will be posted, 
may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually 
and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian 
friend and brother, Paul