Visit To The Rainbow Bridge
 
'All right Darlings, off you go..Remember..clean faces, scrubbed paws, and
brushed fur...and no more rough housing or you'll just have to start all
over!'
 
'hey..what big deal?...why gotta get all over wet?...huh?  why dat?' 'me no
like water...nnnooooo..not me!' asks the tiny kit who's eyes reflect a much
older spirit... 'Elders been busy, busy, busy..alla day...not even time for
scritchies and stories..  whadda matter?'..  asked Grubby again.
 
In less than a minute the large group of little kits were all talking at
once.  The noise was deafening and it wasn't long before a portly graying
senior citizen trotted over to find out what the commotion was all about.
'Whatever is all this shouting about?' asked the stately lady everyone
called Auntie Tammy.  'A body can't hear herself think with all this noise.'
'Come here, little Grubby', she called, 'and snuggle up here by me and tell
me all about it.  'Come on, All of you, gather around now, and tell Auntie
Tammy what's the trouble.'
 
The rag tag mob of very young kits all tried to get as close to Tammy as
possible and as a result she soon resembled a huge mound of wiggling fur,
rather than a dignified old lady.  Tammy didn't mind.  She had come to this
job near the Rainbow Bridge, because she had heard this was where the very
tiny new Bridge Kids gathered when they arrived.  She was a natural at the
job of calming fears, healing hurts, and giving so much love that not one
kit ever felt less than her favourite.  By far these were the most needy of
the newcomers, and Tammy was a natural at the fine art of Mothering hundreds
of kits all at one time.
 
Voices began to be heard over the general din, and Tammy was saddened by the
questions that rained down from the agitated little fur persons.
 
'Are the bad persons coming?' 'Do we have to hide again?' 'Isn't there
enough food?...Is that why everyone's too busy for us today?' 'Are we to be
chased off?' 'Will we be taken away in the night...and left somewhere far
away?' 'Are we going to get sick?'..  'cold?'..  'hungry?' The voices asked
in terror and anguish.  'NO!  NO!  NO!  No..No... ..never, never ,
ever..HERE!' 'That's all past now, all over, all gone..never to return.'
 
I give you my Promise.  No one is going to ever do bad things to any of you
again!' "We all live here in Love and Harmony.  No one is ever Hungry, or
cold, or lonely, in this place of special Grace.' 'Come closer...All of
you.' 'I'll tell you a story about something that happened just this
morning.  It will help to heal your fears; and feel the force of the Love
that surrounds us.' 'You all were present just last night when our families
we had to leave behind us sent us that wave of love and light.  That was
when they held their 'Candle Ceremony" back where they still live.' 'You
remember the light and the warm feelings and the how good and safe you
felt.' Of course you remember.'
 
Did you see the group that got all brushed and fancied up in their best neck
scarves this morning early?' 'Remember how full of joy they were?' 'They
were singing and dooking as they left the Bridge area, and anybody could
tell they were full of excitement as they started off over here..  toward
the far valley.'
 
'Now, who remembers what I told all of you when you asked me what they were
up to?.  'Come on, ...Grubby?..I know you and Simon remember..You tried to
follow them, remember?' Elder Jack brought you back when he found you so far
from your home area.
 
'What did I tell you when you asked me what was wrong with them?' ' Why they
were acting so funny?.' Speak up, Grubby.' 'Come on Simon, don't you be shy
now.' 'You said their Mommy was coming.' said little Simon in a shy whispery
voice.  'That their human person was arriving and that this was a very big
event for them.' And Grubbys piping voice cut in to remark, 'You said they
were going to cross the Rainbow Bridge today.' 'Their long wait was over at
last, and they could go on to their new home.' 'You said that's what
everyone here was waiting for..their Mommys and Daddys to come for them.'
 
Tammy gathered the drooping little body against her chest and rubbed her
face gently against his, 'It's true, Grubby, every word.' 'Its why we're
here.' We don't want to go on without them.' 'It's from our human families
that the love glow last night came from.' 'What we shared with our human
families while we were there with them is so wonderful, we have decided to
wait for as long as we must, so that when we cross over the Bridge we will
be together forever.' 'It's that Love that sustains us all.' Tammy said
softly.
 
'Tonight the Elders of all the areas have decided to call us all together
for something special.' 'That's All.' 'You'll see, tiny furface, it's going
to be wonderful.' 'Nothing to be afraid of." 'OK?'
 
But little Simon spoke up at that moment, and with tears huge in his eyes,
he asked., "What about all of us?, Auntie Tammy?' 'What's going to become of
us?' 'We got no Mommies and Daddies...we got nobody?' "Me and Georgina and
the rest of our litter was thrown in a river and drownded before our eyes
were even open.' And Grubby and his six friends were shoved out of a car and
starved to death in a desert.' 'All of us died before we were six weeks
old.' 'We never had no Mommy.' 'We never had no Daddy.' 'Who's going to come
for us?' as he spoke one after another of the sea of tiny fur persons began
to weep.
 
For a long moment Tammy couldn't make a sound.  Her throat had closed up
tight in her grief for all these little unwanted ones she had charge of
healing.  She took a good grip on herself and smiled as bright as the Sun.
'Why you Sillies!' 'Haven't you noticed?' 'Sally Jean, Mikey, Tippy, Dino,
Marcus, and Annie Sue are all absent tonight!'
 
'We noticed,' Grubby said grimly.  'We just don't want to know what happened
to them.' 'We know all about fur people disappearing without a trace.' 'We
don't ever want to know.' 'We just want to be happy while we can...until
it's our turn to disappear.'' 'Ain't that right Everybody?' A loud chorus
rose in agreement with Grubbys bitter words.
 
'Oh, No, Children!' 'What you must have thought.' 'I am so sorry!' 'I should
have told you right away.' 'I thought you all knew all about it.' 'Oh, My!'
'This is awful.'
 
'Your Wrong.' 'So Wrong.' 'They went with the family who's Mommy came in
this morning.' 'They were all adopted by the Mommy.' 'After the adoption
ceremony they all crossed over Rainbow Bridge together.' 'They were a
family, and no one was an orphan anymore.' 'The Mommy wanted them all.'
'They were all so Happy.' 'It was so wonderful.' 'How could you all have
missed all that singing, and presents, and the big breakfast to celebrate
the little ones having their own Mommy at last?.' Tammy asked as she looked
around in dismay.
 
'We was hidin in the woods.' came a hard and hurting voice.  'We didn't want
to see what was going to happen to them, and we sure didn't want to get
dissappearred our own selves.' 'I'm Carly, and I've been thru getting losted
by a family who didn't want me.' 'I ain't going thru that again, ever.'
'It's why I'm here.' 'I couldn't find a place to get out of a storm...I
froze.' 'You tryin to tell us other fur peoples families are going to take
us in.' 'Us?.' 'Hmmph!'
 
'Yes Carly, they are.' 'I sure don't want to ruin a surprise but in this
case I think it's the right thing to do.' 'Amalie's Daddy is due in tonight,
real late.' He has always loved little sable girls more than any other
creature on the planet.' 'Amalie has asked for you and Jennie to go with her
to meet him.' 'Your adoption is tomorrow afternoon, providing you like him
of course.' 'You will have your very own family, for ever and ever, as of
tomorrow before the dinner bell.' 'Amalie told us all about him at the
adoption conference.' 'He is a wonderful man who loves fuzzys more than he
loves people.' 'You will be very happy with Amalie and her Daddy, and so
will Jennie.' 'He is even bringing a backpack full of treats he made
himself, just for you girls.' 'His prayers for Amalie to bring friends with
her when they cross over the Bridge for the last time, have been heard for a
long time now.' Congratulations Girls!' 'Your going to be so very happy
together!
 
At this announcement the voices again rose to the skies, but this time in
joy and amazement and hope.' ' It was all true then, there would be Mommies
and Daddies for all of them.' 'They would be petted and loved and played
with.' 'There would be games and treats, and tons and tons of Love, for each
of them.' Their shouts of happiness rang out for all to hear.  Many an older
and wiser fur person smiled to himself and brushed away a tear when the
babies voices reached them.  Everyone worried about the youngest of the
children.  They had never had a chance to Love or be Loved.  Everyone knew
how hard it would be to heal that hurt.  But for now the problem was past.
 
Until the next group arrived at Rainbow Bridge, the next batch of tiny
little creatures who had to somehow be taught the lessons of affection the
elders knew so well.  Then the cycle would begin again.  And until Auntie
Tammy, Unka Jed, Miss Priss, and all the others were called to begin the
eternal journey with their loved ones there would be more than enough
compassion and Love to provide the balm that would heal their tiny charges
hurts.  As long as there are Auntie Tammys and Mommies and Daddies to
welcome these fur babies into their hearts I will believe there is hope for
human beings after all.....
 
 dayna
 
 "Resident of... Marvelous Menagerie Of Mirthful Mayhem"
 dayna frazier  102046,3162  07-Sep-1996  09:43:09 PST
[Posted in FML issue 1685]