[Steppes] There Are No Words

[Ronnie Hodges]

... to express the loss when a generous friend and companion passes.

Ali Boo Boo (and the 40 Fleas), first beloved greyhound child of Pat and 
Ronnie, was born on Wednesday, April 28, 1992.  Within a couple of months, 
he adopted Pat and Ronnie.  He was a "puppy rescue".

Ali passed after 14 years with Pat and Ronnie on Sunday, June 4, 2006.  
Brilliant enough to have language skills, cat-curious, and possessing an 
impish, lovingly teasing sense of humor, Ali gently conquered every heart of 
every creature with whom he spent any time.  He shares the ground here and 
the fields at the Rainbow Bridge near Heaven with Belle, Streaker, Winsome, 
Luckey, and Charm, all at White o' Morn Farms, all honored in this life to 
have been accepted as part of the Royal Pack of the Kingdom of Ansteorra.

Certainly, Ali will be missed, but by none more deeply than by Pat, with 
whom he shared a matchless bond of mutual devotion.  Many and many are the 
happy stories of Ali, silenced until we can speak them without tears.

The Rainbow Bridge

A man was on his way to Heaven and stopped just before a great bridge, 
multicolored and iridescent in the sunlight it shone, lying just this side 
of the Great Gates of Heaven.  To the side he saw rolling green fields, 
creeks, and trees.  Playing and resting in those fields appeared to be many 
family pets, small and large, and of every type he knew of.  There appeared 
to be plenty of food and water available for them and the sun felt warm as 
they played and rested in the meadows.  He also noticed, off to one side of 
the meadow, a group of greyhounds.  Where they looked content and in 
excellent condition, they did not run and play as the rest of the animals.

Now off in the distance he could see another traveler upon the road, making 
his way to the bridge.  As he crested a small hill on the road the 
greyhounds all lifted their heads and looked toward him, but then they put 
their heads back down on the grass.  At that same time-- a dog playing in 
another part of the meadow let out a bark and ran towards the man walking on 
the path.  The man, looking surprised, knelt down to greet the dog as it 
covered the man's face with kisses and whimpers of joy.  After a short time 
the man rose and continued down his path and over the bridge to the Gates, 
the dog running and jumping behind him.

"Hello my friend, you are new on this path are you not?"

The man turned to see a lovely woman sitting on the grass next to him.  She 
appeared quite young, yet there was something in her eyes which spoke of 
great age and wisdom.

"Here, sit next to me for awhile and feel the Sun.  I will answer your 
questions before you continue on your journey".

The man sat next to her upon the grass and asked about all the animals out 
in the field, and why they were there.  She looked over at the meadows 
saying:
"This place is called the Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been 
especially close to someone, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are 
meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play 
together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are 
warm and comfortable."

She turned to look back at him then, a small smile creeping onto her lips, 
and continued:

"All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigour; 
those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we 
remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy 
and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone very 
special, someone who was left behind."

"They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops 
and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body 
begins to quiver. Suddenly, he breaks from the group, flying over the green 
grass, faster and faster. They have spotted their  "special someone" and 
when they meet they cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted 
again. The happy kisses rain upon their friends face; those trusting eyes, 
so long gone from their life, but never absent from their heart. Then they 
cross the Rainbow Bridge together."

As she finished, another traveler crested the small hill to the meadows.  
Instantly a "Roo" was heard amongst the playing animals and four greyhounds 
burst from their ranks, running with blinding speed towards the man.  The 
other greyhounds that were resting separate from all the other animals also 
rose to their feet as the man crested the hill.  Their heads seemed to all 
turn in unison to look at him as one and then, leaped as gazelles into a 
full run toward him.  The man, facing the four greyhounds that had 
originally run towards him, turned to see the rest flying his direction.  
Dropping to one knee he opened his arms and welcomed all them to him, 
laughing and almost falling backwards from their enthusiasm.  Rising he then 
walked toward the bridge, awash in a dancing sea of greyhounds.

"I believe I understand " said the man, "but what about that last person?  I 
understand why those greyhounds came to him from the meadow, but what about 
all those that were laying separate from everyone else and never seemed to 
play like the rest.  Why did they all run to him also?"

The woman then let out a small melodious laugh, like the water of a small 
brook, or a light breeze across some wind chimes.

"Well, that is indeed a special case.  Those greyhounds that were resting 
over to the side lived their entire lives as racing greyhounds at a track.  
They never got to know what it was to play, or have a family, or a "special 
someone".  So when they come here they do not play like the other animals.  
They are happy and content, but they wait until that person comes who can 
show them the love that they missed in life."

"I don't believe I understand" said the man, "I realize that he owned 
greyhounds, but that could not possibly be the only reason that they ran to 
him."

"No" she replied, "He was part of a greyhound rescue group.  In life he 
demonstrated his love for them by helping their brothers and sisters.  They 
know that now he is here, he will love them as he loved all those who were 
in his care.  For every rescuer that crosses the Rainbow Bridge, all those 
racing greyhounds waiting here enter Heaven."

The man smiled then, remembering the joy of all those greyhounds sprinting 
across the field and the laughter of the man as they came to him.  He 
thanked the woman for the kindness she had shown him and set his way upon 
the path over the Bridge, feeling a twinge of sadness that in life he did 
not know the love that the last traveler had felt both in life, and beyond.

                                     --Original Author Unknown,
                                           Rewritten 2002, Patrick J. 
Cuccurello (c)