It was a lovely day at de Bridge. SaraFerret was all alone at her
cottage. De kits were visiting friends for de week. So she just tried
to keep herself busy. Finally she stepped outside to stretch and play
awhile. Maybe today would be a good time to just go visit her own
business--it had been awhile. Then she heard de flutter of wings, and
who should appear but Dexter, de little boy courier, with a note in
his paw. He said,

"SawaFewwet, you know, I has been thinking maybe I hasn't been too nice
to you. So I is weally gonna be a better cowwier so maybe one day I can
be a bwidgegweeter. But, oops, I almost forgots, I has a note from the
Boss. A fewwet is cwossing de Bwidge and you must gweet her. You has to
wead it because there is weally important info in it. Is there anyone
you want me get."

Dexter handed me de note. I read it and I understood right away what
he meant. I told him that there was no need for him to get the family;
that I would handle it. Then I headed for de entrance. I was just in
time. I could see an elderly fuzzy trying to cross but she was having
such a hard time. She had one paw on de handrope and of course wouldn't
you know de winds had picked up. So I took a deep breath and did what
bridgegreeters must do. I trotted over to her and gave her my paw an
helped her gently to make her wake across the waving bridge thinking to
myself, "Gee I wish this bridge wouldn't be quite so wobbly with both
of us on it."

As we reached de entrance, she realized dat she could see and asked,
"Who are you?'

I replied, "I am SaraFerret and I am de bridgegreeter. Welcome to de
Rainbow Bridge. Dis is your new forever home. Here you will have no
more pain or suffering. You can see now and you have a new fur coat.
You will run on green grass forever and have lotsa of friends. Did I
mention de fun and games?"

She said, "I am named Sophie. I lived at people's house who got me at a
pet store. I thought they loved me but I guess they got bored with me.
Cause after awhile no one would play with me and I got all sick and
finally I couldn't see and kept running into things. Then I guess they
called these nice people when they didn't want me any more. My life was
pretty lousy until I met the people at the shelter. I really don't care
for lotsa friends cause I keep losing the ones I like. Do you get what
I mean?"

I said, "Sophie, lotsa people see ferrets at petstores and dey think
'oh wow how cute, I will take one home', but dey don't know know jack
about dem. Dey think we are just some kinda pet like a cat. They buy us
a cage and maybe some kinda food and for a while dey let us out to play
and we are like a toy to dem. Pretty soon we become just like a piece
of fur to dem and we get sick and dey don't wanna take us to de dr. But
you are really lucky because there were people who had a nice shelter
who took care of you and these old owners had de sense to call dem.
It could have been much much worse if dere had been no shelter. Some
people have even tossed dere ferrets into de woods or into de streets
or even outta cars. But you were so very fortunate. You had very good
people who loved you the last year of your life, people who held you
and fed you. I know its hard to believe but its so very true."

Sophie just looked at me and said, "Well I guess you are right. It
could have been much worse since you put it that way. I guess I didn't
realize that people could be that mean. But I can see now and I have
nice fur. I just noticed it now. I was so busy listening before. Its
amazing. Who will I have as friends here. I don't see any other ferrets
here except you? Are you gonna be my friend?"

"Sophie, dere are gonna be other fuzzies from de shelter you came from
dat are gonna be your friends. But I would be so proud to be your
friend. And guess what! You are gonna get your very own set of wings:
they are just perfect for flying about de heavens--beats hopping from
cloud to cloud."

She cheered up a bit. Den we went down de garden path to de Wing House
where de wings were stored. We opened de door and on de counter was a
big box marked Sophie.

She opened de box and took out de wings--hot pink with silver streaks.
I helped her put on de wings and adjusted her halo. She ran to de big
vanity mirror and gazed at her reflection. She could see how pretty she
was with her new fur and wings. Den she turned to me and said, "Gee I
wish Papa could see me now." Den I gots an idea.

We left dere and went down de path to de Misting Pond and sat down
beside de cool clear water. With one swish she saw a vision of Papa
Jim appear. She got so excited dat she started waving and dooking with
all of her might.

"I love you. Thank you for loving me and rescuing me. You were so good
to me. Thank you for holding me. I can see now and I have a new fur
coat. I have wings and soon I will be able to fly, but first I will
have to get flying lessons. Oh yeah thanks for having a shelter."

Then she started throwing hugs and kisses and laid dem on a nearby
shooting star and by de time you should read dis it should have
landed dere. And with another swish de vision was gone.

And so we left dere and went down de road and saw a group of ferrets
with a big banner that read "WELCOME SOPHIE", She seem so amazed. Then
all de group went towards a group of cottages dat dey had named de
Kennedy Ferrets of Maine. You could hear music a-playing as we went
inside one of de big cottages where food was laid out. She saw some
of her friends who had left de earth before her and dey all gathered
around her. She visited with dem and met new fuzzies. I was invited to
stay for de food and dancing. But I could see dat Sophie was doing just
fine and had friends, so I said my good bye and headed for home.

I thought to myself, "It was surely a blessing that a shelter had been
dere in her hour of need."

Lovey and hugs,

SaraFerret, bridgegreeter

[Posted in FML 6436]