There is a Bridge connecting Heaven & Earth. It is there animals of all sorts play in perfect harmony, oblivious to hate, but full of love. Cats and dogs run together, a puppy gently nuzzles a ferret and a lion sleeps with the lambs. Here is where they are, the animals we have all loved, and in great pain…..lost. But they are never lost, and never far from our hearts.

One day a young kitten named Squeak was basking in the warm rays of sunlight, when she heard a cry.

“Who is that sobbing?” Asked the kitten. Others gathered around, looking down with concern. “Why…that’s my Mommy. But what is she doing down there?”
Squeak tried to reach down, but it was too far. “Why can’t I go to her?”

A beautiful German Shepherd sat gently down beside her, and explained,
“Squeaky, your Mom cries because she made a choice. This choice brought you to us, and you are now once more perfectly healthy. Now you see, you may run and play like a normal kitten.”

“But…why must she hurt so bad? Look, there’s so many hurting parents!” Squeak glanced all around, entranced by all the tears that fall. “Don’t they know we are all ok?”

“Yes, and that is all they wanted…for us to be free, full of life and happy once more, but you see that choice is hard for them, because they cannot yet see us in this light. They must wait, till it is their time. They choose this path when they bring us into their lives, somewhere in the back of their minds…they just know.”

Squeak continued to watch, as others gathered around beside her, watching over their families.

“Look….that’s my Mom there, and.. why….see there, she is thinking of me, and smiling! What does this mean?” A glorious orange tabby questioned the elders.

“It means she is healing. As time continues on, the sadder memories are replaced by your happy ones, and they come more frequently, to battle the hurt. When the hurt subsides eventually, it never means they are forgetting us… they remember us the way we all want them to. With love, and happiness in their hearts” Replied a little Pomeranian, with twinkling eyes.

“So my Mom will stop hurting so badly, and crying so much?” Squeak asked, looking up into the Shepherds eyes.

“They never completely stop hurting, but it aches less often. Their tears help cleanse their souls and hearts, and their healing begins. There are days where they can smile and laugh, and others where yes, they will be in pain. It is their journey of grief, but our journey of love is forever.” He smiled at the kitten, her eyes so inquiring and worried.

And as peaceful silence invoked them, a tall figure in the distance was slowly making its way towards the Gates. A lab, who up until this moment was chasing butterflies by the rivers edge, stopped suddenly and listened. His ears perked up, as the dawning recognition took place. And as suddenly as that happened, he ran… with such joy in his happy prances, he greeted his Master with multitudinous kisses, barking happily and being embraced. The others watched, silently and smiling, for they too know their time will come. In one glorious moment, eternities intertwined…souls and hearts combined.

Squeak looked down once more, her blue eyes searching and quietly whispered…

“Until we meet again, Mommy”

And she ran off into the sunset with the others, with all the love in the world in her heart.