Hi, all-
 
It was a pretty quiet week at the Bridge, and that's always a good thing.
 
I did meet one little guy coming across the Bridge.  His name was Ricky.
 
It seems that Ricky had a Daddy that he loved very much, but Ricky
wandered away from the home that he had with his Daddy.  He didn't mean
to get so far away, it was an accident.  After a little while exploring
new places (they smell so exciting!), Ricky just couldn't remember how
to get home.
 
Some Hoomins found him, but they didn't bring him home to his Daddy.
Instead they brought him to a very sad place.  It smelled of all kinds
of sad animals.  Afraid animals, some sick animals.  Several different
kinds, most much bigger than he was.
 
Ricky hated it there.
 
He likes it much better here.  He was very, very happy to see the Bridge
once those Hoomins did whatever they did to him.  (He doesn't want to
talk about that part.  I understand.  I hear a lot of stories about going
to those places.  Sometimes Hoomins are very hard to figure out.  It's
just easier to forgive them, and to let the Hoomins solve their own
problems. )
 
Here is better.  This is everybody's Forever forever home.  We all belong
here, we are all wanted here, and the Big Boss loves every one of us.
We are never sick, or in pain here.  If we are lucky enough to have had
Hoomins in the World of the Living, we can even look forward to seeing
them again some day.  Every good thing is possible here.  Good land to
run in and play in, places to smell and explore.  Toys and interesting
things, fun things, like tubes to run in, and sofas to shred.  There
are antique chests full of millions of interesting things to see and to
touch, to stash.  Small treasures.  Big treasures.  There are rolls of
toilet paper to shred, a million times a million wastebaskets to tip
over, beverages to spill onto carpet, carpet to dig into, a million times
a million houseplants to dig in, a pile of fur mice that would take an
hour to climb, and oh, the food... There is good dirt for digging, soft
hammies for sleeping.  and wings, WINGS, to bring us across far
distances...and oh, it is so good to fly...
 
I told Ricky all of these things, and his Brothers in Fur from his
Daddy's Business told him these things, and Ricky is a very, very, happy
weasel right now.
 
He will never be lost or afraid, ever again.  And he will never, ever, be
alone.
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4522]