Dearest Sue,

I know how upset you have been since loosing Kaleb and then Casondra.
It is never an easy thing to say goodbye to those we love, but death
is not our end, it is merely a beginning. The earth you live on is a
playground where all souls go for refinement. The nice thing about
being a fuzzit is that we have already refined to the point of
enlightenment, and so we have choices. We can stay here and enjoy
living at the Rainbow Bridge, or we can make the choice to come to
earth and teach as we have been taught.

Many times I have spoken of love as being the greatest gift of all.
From love stems many wonderful things, trust, hope, joy, happiness,
charity and faith. When you love, you learn these things, and as a
reward, they are given to you in return. We are also a gift, very much
like love, we come not only with all of these attributes, but in a
warm and fuzzy tube-like shape (I still have that scroll and watch
that video all of the time!)

Humans love and learn, ferret love and teach. If we find the right
student, then they are given the glimpse of what awaits them when they
too reach total enlightenment.

It is like shedding your clothes and walking down into a cool, clear
lake. Shedding of the clothes, is leaving behind the things which weigh
you down ... stress, anger, pain, sadness, hopelessness ..... the water
is a symbol of emotional cleansing, a way of releasing what has held us
back from all that we are capable of doing. I know I have said to you
before about what a gift you are, but did you know that the ferrets
that have come in and out of your lives are the Big Guys way of saying
thank you Sue, you are loved.

And you are. Think of all the fuzzits that have been in your life, and
then think upon how many of them came to you sick, injured, mistreated.
You had a choice, you could have said no, I only want my own, healthy
ferrets and have turned them away, but you didn't. That heart that is
as big as the state of Arkansas, maybe even bigger, could never say say
no. It says yes, time and time again. Think of all the good you have
done, all of the hearts you have nurtured, all of the sick babies you
have nursed back to health, all the scared ones who come into your life
as wild and frightened creature, only to be loved into what they were
always meant to be.

Each home you find, is a chance to pass on that love is a furry
package. Each ferret you take in, is again more love, and it is only
with this unconditional love can you do the things that you do, even in
saying goodbye, you are doing what is right. For you it started with
that white rat, ummm I mean ferret!

I knew that Casondra was on her way when I began this greeting and let
it set in draft while I waited, and prayed - because even though I
greet those who ask, I say prayers to ask for more time ... another
day, another week, another month, even another year, and every once in
awhile it works too. One time it worked so well, a fuzzit who was told
he had a matter of months, got three more years and lived to be the
ripe old age of TEN!

I was sitting on the porch and watching the summer rain and working on
this greeting when I saw Kaleb coming my way. I knew right then that
Casondra would be here soon and so I set aside my work and walked into
the rain and the two of us stood there and cried. The tears were for
you, Casondra was going to be starting a new life after she arrived,
but you, we wanted to be there for you.

As we stood, tight in that embrace, others came and added their love
and warmth. Maxwell was first, but then he was first in your life, so
it made sense his paws would be the first to embrace the two of us. It
was followed by Faroke, and Aries. Each paw added to the embrace, and
made that sorrow turn from saddness to a soild resolve to let you know
how much you meant and STILL mean in all their lives. Peebles, Hershel
and Frye. Timmy, Bam Bam, Edward, Tube, Bonkers, Obie, Robin, Gidget,
and lastly, but not least Cowboy, Casada and Bighouse. I reached deep
down inside of myself, seeking the right words that would make you
understand just what it felt like to be there in the middle of all
that love. I could see it and feel it and then the words came, but not
words .... lyrics. My mum finds the greatest solice in music. To her a
song can be more the sum of it's music, it can be a memory as well.
Songs can make you laugh, they can make you cry, they can amaze you and
rattle you to your very core, and if you let them, they can even heal,
and become a reminder of something or someone very special to you. So
for you, and for Casondra we share this song. It's an oldie, but a
goodie and one written in the 1970 by four great guys and sung by the
Jackson 5. I personally think it should be renamed "A Ferrets Creed"

I'll Be There For You

You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I'll be there

I'll reach out my hand/paw to you, I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there

I'll be there to comfort you,
Build my world of dreams around you, I'm so glad that I found you
I'll be there with a love that's strong
I'll be your strength, I'll keep holding on

Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter
Togetherness, well that's all I'm after
Whenever you need me, I'll be there
I'll be there to protect you, with an unselfish love that respects you
Just call my name and I'll be there

If you should ever find someone new, I know he'd better be good to you
'Cause if he doesn't, I'll be there
Don't you know, baby, yeah yeah
I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be there

(Just look over your shoulders )

I'll be there, I'll be there, whenever you need me, I'll be there
Don't you know, mommy, yeah yeah

I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be there...

We stood there, all of us, still embracing, when I could feel a
flutter, and then this warmth, and then, the space between Kaleb and
I was suddenly filled by this beautiful, luscious little girl, and I
knew right away it was Casondra. Her memories of you were so strong and
flooded my mind with all of these beautiful and touching moments in
time, and I felt so blessed. Gosh, if I ever decide to come back, can
I come back and be with you?

We all stood back, and as we did Casondra unfurled these beautiful
rainbow colored wings. In that moment the rain stopped, and the sun
came out. A gentle, sweet breeze filled the air and over and above us
we saw rainbows - the sky was literally filled with them. We tried
counting them, but after twenty-seven I gave up because more kept
appearing all the time. Casondra looked right at me and said, "Each one
of those rainbows represents all of the ferrets that have been helped
and loved by Mommy and the shelter, and the ones that keep appearing
are all of the ferret lives she will continue helping and loving in the
future. So don't even try to keep a good count, because there are more
then you can possibly imagine."

And with that she opened her wings and off she flew, just like that. I
watched as one by one the other took to the air, and then I lay back,
on the soft, dry grass and watched one of the greatest family reunions
ever.

In Love & In Comfort,
Pie O' Pah

[Posted in FML 6797]