Dear Lisa,

One thing I can tell you with great certainty is that when we are
ready to leave, we do it on our own schedule. Some of us wait for you,
because we need the love and comfort that comes from being near you.
Others, like myself, want to leave before that time, because we are
very stubborn, and want your last thoughts of us as being alive, eyes
full of joy, swaddled away in our favourite sleeping sack, hammie or
blankie. Kisses given and received, hugs neatly stored away for the
trip, love tucked away in generous amounts to last more then 100 life
times, and your memory is of us having simply gone to sleep, and waking
up at the Bridge.

He knows you are sorry, but he wants you to know that it was his
choice, like mine, to leave when we did. He had every thing he needed
to make his trip to the Rainbow Bridge and off we went, in Reggie's
case, skipping all the way!!

There are other secrets about the adventure we go on before we arrive.
We know long before you that we are going. The first signs are the
visitors we receive while we are still here. For Reggie it was Bobbie,
followed by Frank. Like the ghosts in "A Christmas Carol" they came to
tell him all about what he would encounter once he came to the Bridge.
There are Angels of Comfort who come to look after the fuzzy parents
and siblings, to make sure that they help ease some of the pain that
will happen before, during and even after we have left. Guardian Angels
who help guide these sweet souls, Greeters who, well, GREET of course,
and then hundreds of ferrets to show them around, to make new friends
with, to show them the Viewing Pool, you name it, I think we have it
pretty much covered.

Now....

You may not see them, but if you take the time to close your eyes, and
let yourself be quiet for a moment, you will feel them around you.
Sometimes you hear the sound of flight, sometimes you might even find
a pin feather or two. Some, like the ones who went before, will kiss
you on your ankle or a quiet dooking, or you could see a bit of a tail
from the corner of your eye. The whole idea is that you know Reggie,
or any of your fuzzies are never alone. Hoomins make this mistake all
the time. They say everyone is alone when they die. NOT TRUE, they
may appear as though they are alone, they aren't, there is a whole
different plain of existence that is happening before our very eyes,
and it all stems from the love that we have here, and the love that was
given while they were earth bound. It's really true, what they say,
"Love (does) Make the World Go 'Round"

How can this be? Love leaves more then a feeling. It leaves an imprint,
one that is so large that to actually see it would be something most
minds could not comprehend, but feeling it, this IS something we all
can do. Reggie felt your love that last day, even with one more job
to do, he FELT it, knew you were there, knew your love would always
be with him too!

On our way to the Bridge we take a journey through all of our best
memories. Lucky for Reggie he had Bobbie, Frank, AND Rufus along for
the ride. He even got to see your memories of Toby, so by the time he
got to the Bridge he didn't need to worry about meeting a stranger,
all he had to do was hug a new brother.

Through out this whole ordeal, you are the ones we worry about the
most. Fuzzits from the Bridge have everything in paw, and know what to
do at every turn, but the one thing we are unable to do is make the
pain of your loss go away.

Time does that, time and support and the love of other ferret parents.
All you need to know is that Reggie is at his new forever home. He is
safe. He is whole and pain free, and he looks
Marvvvvvvvvvvvv-O-Luss!!!!!!!

In Love & In Comfort,
Pie O' Pah

[Posted in FML 7469]