The Boss sent me my new arrivals list this morning, and on it was a
little boy named Prince.  Now, usually I would go to meet our new fuzzy
and welcome him to the Bridge, but Prince's hoomin, Rosie, had asked the
Boss if I might bring along some of Prince's brothers and sisters from
the Hoomin world with me to help welcome him.  I finished up my tea and
set out to find Prince's brothers and sisters.
 
The first fuzzy I met up with on my way to greet Prince was a Booger.
He was a very nice fuzzy, and very sad to hear that Prince was coming to
the Bridge, although he was excited to get to see him again.  Booger told
me that he would go and find the rest of Prince and Rosie's family who
here and meet me at the Bridge.  I thanked Booger very much and headed
on my way.
 
The Bridge can be a bit of a confusing place.  Sometimes, something that
seems like it should be sad it happy, and sometimes what seems to be
happy is sad.  When a fuzzy leaves the Hoomin world for the Bridge, it is
indeed a sad thing for the fuzzies hoomin family, but for the fuzzie's
Bridge family it can be a very wonderful thing.  Fuzzies who have not met
members of their hoomin family often get to meet them at the Bridge, and
fuzzies who haven't seen their brothers and sisters since they have
arrived here often meet for a tearful reunion.
 
Then again, it is often the reverse.  Fuzzies who arrive at the Bridge
are given brand new perfectly working bodies which are free of pain and
injury.  Fuzzies who were hurting because of their diseases in the hoomin
world no longer hurt, and fuzzies who couldn't see or hear in the Hoomin
world can now do so up here at the Bridge.  But even though these fuzzies
are granted these wonderful things, their hoomin families only seem to be
able to feel the pain of their loss, and while hoomins understand, it is
always such a sad time for them.
 
When I got to the Bridge, I saw a handsome albino boPrince standing there
holding his favorite toy in his teeth, Louie the Lamb.  Rosie had sent
Louie with Prince to help comfort him in this new place he would be
staying.  I smiled, and started to welcome Prince, but I hadn't gotten a
word out when a business of fuzzies excitedly war-danced to the Bridge
and surrounded him!  Booger had brought Maxine, Maxi, Fritz, Pepper and
Misty with them, and they were all dooking and side-hopping around Prince
as he stood there holding Louie!  It was utter and complete chaos as they
all told Prince how much they had missed him.  I smiled and told Prince
my name over the din, but I'm not sure that he even heard me!  Booger was
leading them all to take Prince and show him all the different places up
here at the Bridge.  For Prince's Bridge brothers and sisters, it was a
very happy time indeed.
 
Yet down in the Hoomin world, it was quite the opposite.  Not only was
Rosie missing Prince, each fuzzy she lost to hoomin sickness or disease
made her miss all of them that much more.  Shark, Buddy, Snowball, Lady,
Star, Bear, Princess, Angel and Max all went about their way, but even
so, they all seemed to lack a twinkle in their eye and a spring in their
step.  They could all sense that their mom, Rosie, was upset.  Rosie had
explained to all of them that when they went to the Bridge they would all
be given new and healthy bodies, but even that did little to help them in
their time of sadness.
 
Rosie was so sorry that she and her husband had not been able to stop
Prince's sickness.  Even though they had given Prince the best medicine
that the hoomin fuzzy docs had, it had not helped him.  Rosie wanted
Prince to know that she missed him and thought about him every day, just
like all the fuzzies that had passed to the Bridge before him.  And most
of all, Rosie hoped that Prince would forgive her for what happened.  But
there was no need for forgiveness on Rosie's part.  Nobody could have
done more for her fuzzy babies than she and her husband had already done.
 
So sadness was truly a kind of happiness, and happiness a kind of
sadness.  And while it often made things confusing, the Bridge was a
place of healing and caring, of loss and remembering, and most of all,
of love.  It was a very special place.
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 5201]