I visit a friend most Saturday mornings.  He is a little older than I am, has some normal physical limitations (He uses a walker mostly.)  During the warm weather when I visit, we often sit outdoors in his swing and talk while being entertained by his three lively ‘puppy’ companions, two Jack Russell bundles of endless energy and another without a pedigree and while much smaller makes up for his size by his aggressive barking.
While leaving the home one Saturday, I was saddened to see that one of the Jack Russell dogs was spotted lying in the middle of the adjacent road, lifeless.  I notified the owner but also felt for the puppy’s keeper, my friend, who found the animals to be part of the family and of course felt the loss intensely.
I wanted to tell him that I too felt the loss and wrote this letter to him offering comfort and expressing my concern.
July 19, 2010
Dear Friend,
I was sorry to learn of the accident that took the life of your “puppy” friend recently.  I have had a similar experience with the death of my “kitty” that lived with my wife and me for over 12 years although she died naturally.
Some wonder if there will be pets in heaven, and one wrote a letter to Evangelist Billy Graham asking that very question.  I like his reply; it is comforting to me, and I hope for you too.
Billy Graham stated in his reply that God has promised for those entering heaven that it would be a place of supreme happiness and, because of God’s promise, Rev. Graham stated that he believed that this being the case, then there surely would be those pets in heaven that gave us so much joy on earth.
Your “puppy” is waiting for the fetching game with you to begin one day in the future when the Great Reunion comes about.
Thank you for being my friend and sharing your ‘friends’ with me.
Sincerely,
Bill Lee
PO Box 128
Hamer, SC 29547