On this day at the Rainbow Bridge there was to be a special greeting
for a very special little animal who was known and loved by millions;
a little creature known as a meercat. A desert Rose had been plucked
and it was her time to come to the Rainbow Bridge. Her days of feeling
the sand under her paws and the sun on her fur had come to a close.
As fierce as she was beautiful, a little creature who had managed to
survive in some of the world's most harsh terrain, mother to many;
speculation of upwards of 70. Six years believed to have been her
lifespan in a part of the world with life and death around every
corner.

Meercats are close in size to ferrets with similar personalities, so
when the Boss studied about which Welcoming Gate she would come to, He
decided to have her welcomed at Ferret Village and SodaFerret with the
rest of his Bridge Helpers would be on hand to welcome her.

Flower felt herself falling, tumbling over and over, her paws finding
nothing solid, at first she was very afraid but then she felt safe and
protected, wrapped in warmth and love as she continued to tumble into
nothingness. What she remembered last she was at her home on the
Kalahari Desert. She had been reunited with the rest of her large
group, so happy to be with her family; mother to so many, memories of
a wonderful life, battles she had fought, napping in the shade with her
devoted partner Zaphod, giving birth to another generation. What was
happening to her? Where was she? Why was she falling and falling into
what?

She remembered arriving at the den entrance. A large snake had been in
the area but she and the rest of her group had managed to chase it away
but upon arriving back at the den entrance the scent of the snake was
immediately picked up by the group. Her pups, she had to get to her
pups to make sure they were safe. Going into the dark underground den,
Flower knew she had to get to her pups before the snake, if necessary
she would stand her ground with the snake and fight to the death to
protect her newborn pups.

Flower felt the sudden-onset of pain to her head. The snake she thought
to herself, the snake did something that was causing the increasing
pain. After only a few minutes Flower began to feel sick, she was
having problems walking, and she could feel her head and neck begin
to swell. Turning away from the direction of her pups, Flower began to
stagger towards the den entrance. She had to get to her family, she
needed them, she needed their strength and courage; she needed someone
to go and find her pups and make sure they were okay. Staggering out
into the warm sunlight her family was horrified by what they saw. Their
leader, the family patriarch, something had happened to her. As Flower
lay dying her last thoughts were of her family and who would guide
them. Her pups she had given birth to the night before, who would care
for them ensuring they would grow up to be a valued member of the
Meerkat Whiskers. The light in her eyes grew more dim until there was
no light at all, Flower passed from this world to the next.

Flying through the night sky, riding on the back of some beast, Flower
began to feel afraid again; where was she going, what was this beast
that carried her through the dark night sky. MoonBeam Molly sensed the
little meercat's fears.

"There is nothing to fear little Flower the unicorn told her, you are
safe."

"But where am I going"? Flower asked the unicorn.

"You are going home Flower. Your heart has touched the horizon and your
journey had come to an end. I am taking you home" the unicorn
explained.

Flying through the night, Flower began to hear that soft gentle voice
again in a song. The deep clear voice fill the air with the bittersweet
refrain of the Great Promise Song. The melody of love told the story of
hope and promise and also of sorrow and loss all tied together in the
cycle of life. The song explained pain fading away, of limbs being made
strong again, and eyes once more bright and seeing, it told of the
sorrow of passing and the joy waiting in the Promise. As SodaFerret
sang the sad sweet song, he had tears rolling down his furry cheeks. He
felt the pain of the one who was coming, he felt the pain of having to
leave behind a family, forced to leave behind wee-ones that needed her
help and guidance; SodaFerret could feel the pain in Flower's heart.

Arriving at the Rainbow Bridge, MoonBeam Molly lowered herself to the
ground so her tiny passenger could climb down.

"Where am I?" Flower asked. "What is this place and who are those
animals over there"? She wanted to know pointing in the direction of
SodaFerret and the ferrets on the other side of the Bridge.

"Flower you must walk across this Bridge, it is the starting point for
your new life" the unicorn explained to her.

Slowly and with great caution Flower took a couple of steps and
stopped. Behind her was the beautiful unicorn that brought her to this
place. On the other side of the Bridge stood a group of animals Flower
had never seen before. Why were they here she wondered, what did they
want from her. Taking a deep breath and summoning up all the courage
she could, she slowly began to make her way across the time-worn
timbers of the Rainbow Bridge.

Arriving at the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, a tall and handsome
ferret stepped out to greet her first.

"Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge Flower, my name is SodaFerret."

Flower looked all around but said nothing. The others could see the
sadness in her eyes as well as feel the pain she was feeling in her
heart. Finally she broke the silence and spoke. "I don't understand
what happened to me or why I am here or even what this place is" she
replied. "How do I get back to my family, they need me, I have young
pups that need to be cared for, I can't stay here, I have too much to
do, I have many that depend on me. Please, you must let me go home."

Reaching out with two of his hugs paws, SodaFerret took one of Flower's
paws. "Flower you are home, this is where you will remain. You were
sick, you had been hurt and there was nothing that could undo what had
happened to you" Soda explained.

"But I feel fine" Flower told him. "Whatever the snake did to me, I
am fine. There was no reason to bring me here, just look at me, I am
not sick, let me go back home to care for my family."

"Flower" began SodaFerret, I can't do that. This is the Rainbow Bridge,
this is where all animals come to when their time on earth is over. The
Boss thought it would be okay for you to be welcomed here at Ferret
Village. We have a lot in common and He felt you would feel more at
ease by allowing a few of the members of Ferret Village to welcome you.
You were bitten by a snake and there was nothing that would help you
and you feel okay now because that was a gift from the Boss, everyone
who arrives here is young again, no old achy bones, all the parts of
your body in is perfect working order."

"I can't stay here" Flower continued to object. "I am a mother, I am a
leader, there are no creatures here that I can lead or be a mother to"
she exclaimed.

A gentle smile began to spread across SodaFerret's face. "There are
members here who need you, they need your leadership, they need to
have you as a mother again" Soda told the little meerkat.

All of a sudden there was noise coming from a bush directly behind
SodaFerret. "Come on out he called to them, she is here."

War-dancing and making all kinds of funny noises, a group began to mob
Flower who next found herself on the ground; at the bottom of the heap
with little fuzzy animals on her, everyone calling out "mama, you are
here, mama is dat really you, mama, I love you!"

"Easy guys take it easy on your mom" Soda told the excited group.
Reaching through the mob of meekest SodaFerret managed to find the
small velvet paw of Flower as he helped her to stand.

Looking into the faces of the many meerkats before her she could not
believe her eyes; Len and Squiggy, Tosca, Blossom, and the most kind
and loving meerkat to ever grace the sands of the Kalahari Desert, her
beautiful son Shakespeare. Flower fell reem86 f ytto the embrace of her
children, so many of them were here to welcome her.

After a bit Flower finally turned back to SodaFerret. "Mr. SodaFerret,
I still don't understand what happened to me but I thank you for all
you have done for me, just a little meercat from the Kalahari Desert."

With tears in his eyes SodaFerret tried once again to explain to Flower
what had happened to her and just what this place was. He went on to
explain to her that her many children that were here had built a
wonderful new home to welcome her into . They had been told their mom
would be coming and everyone pitched in and built a wonderful burrow
big enough for them all. An area of the Rainbow Bridge had been made
just for the meercats and they even had a desert area complete with the
hot sand they were used to treading across each day. The difference
here being food was plentiful, there would never be any lean times,
they would have everything they needed, just as the words to the
Promise song pledged to her.

Flower seemed to be taking it all in, everything that SodaFerret had
explained to her. Listening to what her dear children were whispering
in her ear, the little meerkat again stopped and began once again to
survey her surroundings. "Mr. SodaFerret, my children tell me they have
built a wonderful burrow for me and they are anxious to show it to me.
Thank you for everything you have done, this in deed seems to be a
wonderful place but I think I want to go and be with my children and
answer the many questions they have for me, wanting to know how
everyone is."

Flower was last seen being led down one of the many garden paths,
surrounded by her beloved children, she accepted that she was home.
Here she would remain and as each of her children passed from one world
to the next, she would be on hand to welcome them just as her children
had been here for her. "Lets go home mama, we have missed you" Flower's
handsome son Shakespeare told her as he led her down the garden path
heading to the new home that had so lovingly been made for their mom.
All would be happy in the burrow, no dangers, Flower was back with her
children, she would care for them and continue to teach and lead them.
Shakespeare had one more thing to show his mom, later he would take her
to the Reflecting Pond so she could peek in on her family and see how
everyone was doing on the Kalahari Desert.

[Posted in FML 5750]