Heaven?
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 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. He 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.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led 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 reader. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there". The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "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 bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. He went toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them. "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," was the answer.
"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. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
When tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see;
The sun will rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
I know how much you loved me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me
I know you'll miss me too.
But when tomorrow starts without me,
please try to understand
That an angel came and called my name
And petted me with her hand.
She said my place was ready,
In Heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But,as I turned to heel away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life I never thought
That I would have to die.
I had so much to live for,
So many sits and downs to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.
I thought about our lives together,
I know you must be sad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
Remember when I'd nudge your hand,
And poke you with my nose?
The frisbee I would gladly chase,
The bad guy,I'd "bark and hold"
If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for awhile,
I'd wag my tail and kiss you,
Just so I could see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be
For emptiness and memories
Will take the place of me.
And when I thought of treats and toys
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you and when I did,
My dog-heart filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through Heaven's gate;
And felt so much at home;
As God looked down and smiled at me,
From His beautiful throne.
He said,"This is eternity",
And now we welcome you,
Today your life on earth is past,
But here is starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last;
For you see,each days' the same,
There's no longing for the past.
Now you have been so faithful
So trusting, loyal and true;
Though there were times you did things,
You knew you shouldn't do
But good dogs are forgiven,
And now at last you're free;
So won't you sit here by my side,
And wait right here with me?
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right there, in your heart.
Author unkown
I Miss You
There's something missing in my home,
I feel it day and night
I know it will take time and strength
before things feel quite right.
But just for now, I need to mourn -
my heart-it needs to mend.
Though some may say it's "just a pet"
I know I've lost my friend.
You've brought such laughter to my home
and richness to my days...
A constant friend through joy or loss,
with gentle, loving ways.
Companion, pal, and confidante,
a friend I won't forget,
you'll live for always in my heart -
my sweet, forever pet...
If It Should Be
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then you must do what must be done
For this last battle cannot be won.
You will be sad, I understand.
Don't let your grief then stay your hand.
For this day - more than all the rest.
Your love for me must stand the test.
We've had so many happy years -
What is to come can hold no fears.
You'd not want me to suffer so;
The time has come, so let me go.
Take me where my needs they'll tend
And please stay with me until the end.
Hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time that you will see
The kindness that you did for me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I've been saved.
Please do not grieve - it must be you
Who had this painful thing to do.
We've been so close, we two, these years -
Don't let your heart hold back its tears