Last Will and Testament of a Ferret
By Stephanie Sheme 1995
 
 
I am your friend the ferret, because the weight of my years and frailty
of my body are upon me, and because I realize the end is near, I hear by
do leave you my last will and testament.
 
My material things do not add up to much, for who has the most
possessions is a flaw of humans not animals.
 
The only thing of value I can leave you is love, compassion and trust.
These I leave to all who have loved me, but particularly to my mistress
who will grieve for me the most.
 
Being a ferret I am naturally loveable, I mean not to boast, but to list
all that have loved me would take days.
 
I ask my mistress to remember me always, but not to grieve for too long.
 
I have tried to comfort her in sorrow and chuckle with her joy.
 
While no ferret has had a happier life, I have grown old and slow with
age and feel it is time to say goodbye and go on with my great journey
to ferret heaven.
 
It is a sorrow to leave my mistress, but to die I do not fear.
 
There is a place I believe where we can sun on our hammocks and dig in
the dirt with no fear of other animals or ignorant humans that may harm
us, and where I can glow in the love and warmth of my mistress.
 
My last request is that my mistress continues her life filled with
ferrets for they do bring her such joy and she loves them one and all,
even the self-filled ones.
 
It would be a poor tribute for her never to have another ferret.
 
Even the dogs and cats she loves, so she must keep on loving.
Though not as perfect as a ferret they also bring her joy.
 
 
One last word of goodbye.
 
Dear mistress, whenever you think of me say to yourself, with great
regret but also with joy and love in your heart, at the remembrance of a
long and happy life with you: she loved me unconditionally and I loved
her the same.
 
No matter how far I seem I shall always be in your heart.
 
The power of death can not keep me from doing the ferret dance of joy
when you call my name.
 
And when it is your turn to leave this world I will be waiting at the
gates of heaven to show you the way and welcome you to OUR new home.
[Posted in FML issue 5037]