Remembering to Remember

I guess I have spent my whole life with a pet. It has just been a part of living. There were a few times that no furry creature lived in my heart but those were few and far between. I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday and she asked me if I thought animals went to heaven. I was shocked that she did not know the story of the Rainbow Bridge. I thought everyone knew about the Rainbow Bridge.
I sat back down not caring that my fifteen minute break was about to turn into twenty. I told her of the promise and offered to bring a printed version to her the next day I came in. She had lost a cat that had meant a lot to her a few years ago. I thought today would be a great day to repost that story for those that do not know of the promise.
I know that when it is my time to leave this world I will be reunited with those that have given me that perfect love. That is one promise I look forward to.

The Rainbow Bridge
inspired by a Norse legend
By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

There are many versions of the Rainbow Bridge. I suggest you type it into the search bar and find one that you love. Remember to have tissue handy because if you have a heart as tender as mine you will need them.