It was a lovely day at de Bridge. SaraFerret was all alone at her cottage. De kits were visiting friends for de week. So she just tried to keep herself busy. Finally she stepped outside to stretch and play awhile. Maybe today would be a good time to just go visit her own business--it had been awhile. Then she heard de flutter of wings, and who should appear but Dexter, de little boy courier, with a note in his paw. He said, "SawaFewwet, you know, I has been thinking maybe I hasn't been too nice to you. So I is weally gonna be a better cowwier so maybe one day I can be a bwidgegweeter. But, oops, I almost forgots, I has a note from the Boss. A fewwet is cwossing de Bwidge and you must gweet her. You has to wead it because there is weally important info in it. Is there anyone you want me get." Dexter handed me de note. I read it and I understood right away what he meant. I told him that there was no need for him to get the family; that I would handle it. Then I headed for de entrance. I was just in time. I could see an elderly fuzzy trying to cross but she was having such a hard time. She had one paw on de handrope and of course wouldn't you know de winds had picked up. So I took a deep breath and did what bridgegreeters must do. I trotted over to her and gave her my paw an helped her gently to make her wake across the waving bridge thinking to myself, "Gee I wish this bridge wouldn't be quite so wobbly with both of us on it." As we reached de entrance, she realized dat she could see and asked, "Who are you?' I replied, "I am SaraFerret and I am de bridgegreeter. Welcome to de Rainbow Bridge. Dis is your new forever home. Here you will have no more pain or suffering. You can see now and you have a new fur coat. You will run on green grass forever and have lotsa of friends. Did I mention de fun and games?" She said, "I am named Sophie. I lived at people's house who got me at a pet store. I thought they loved me but I guess they got bored with me. Cause after awhile no one would play with me and I got all sick and finally I couldn't see and kept running into things. Then I guess they called these nice people when they didn't want me any more. My life was pretty lousy until I met the people at the shelter. I really don't care for lotsa friends cause I keep losing the ones I like. Do you get what I mean?" I said, "Sophie, lotsa people see ferrets at petstores and dey think 'oh wow how cute, I will take one home', but dey don't know know jack about dem. Dey think we are just some kinda pet like a cat. They buy us a cage and maybe some kinda food and for a while dey let us out to play and we are like a toy to dem. Pretty soon we become just like a piece of fur to dem and we get sick and dey don't wanna take us to de dr. But you are really lucky because there were people who had a nice shelter who took care of you and these old owners had de sense to call dem. It could have been much much worse if dere had been no shelter. Some people have even tossed dere ferrets into de woods or into de streets or even outta cars. But you were so very fortunate. You had very good people who loved you the last year of your life, people who held you and fed you. I know its hard to believe but its so very true." Sophie just looked at me and said, "Well I guess you are right. It could have been much worse since you put it that way. I guess I didn't realize that people could be that mean. But I can see now and I have nice fur. I just noticed it now. I was so busy listening before. Its amazing. Who will I have as friends here. I don't see any other ferrets here except you? Are you gonna be my friend?" "Sophie, dere are gonna be other fuzzies from de shelter you came from dat are gonna be your friends. But I would be so proud to be your friend. And guess what! You are gonna get your very own set of wings: they are just perfect for flying about de heavens--beats hopping from cloud to cloud." She cheered up a bit. Den we went down de garden path to de Wing House where de wings were stored. We opened de door and on de counter was a big box marked Sophie. She opened de box and took out de wings--hot pink with silver streaks. I helped her put on de wings and adjusted her halo. She ran to de big vanity mirror and gazed at her reflection. She could see how pretty she was with her new fur and wings. Den she turned to me and said, "Gee I wish Papa could see me now." Den I gots an idea. We left dere and went down de path to de Misting Pond and sat down beside de cool clear water. With one swish she saw a vision of Papa Jim appear. She got so excited dat she started waving and dooking with all of her might. "I love you. Thank you for loving me and rescuing me. You were so good to me. Thank you for holding me. I can see now and I have a new fur coat. I have wings and soon I will be able to fly, but first I will have to get flying lessons. Oh yeah thanks for having a shelter." Then she started throwing hugs and kisses and laid dem on a nearby shooting star and by de time you should read dis it should have landed dere. And with another swish de vision was gone. And so we left dere and went down de road and saw a group of ferrets with a big banner that read "WELCOME SOPHIE", She seem so amazed. Then all de group went towards a group of cottages dat dey had named de Kennedy Ferrets of Maine. You could hear music a-playing as we went inside one of de big cottages where food was laid out. She saw some of her friends who had left de earth before her and dey all gathered around her. She visited with dem and met new fuzzies. I was invited to stay for de food and dancing. But I could see dat Sophie was doing just fine and had friends, so I said my good bye and headed for home. I thought to myself, "It was surely a blessing that a shelter had been dere in her hour of need." Lovey and hugs, SaraFerret, bridgegreeter [Posted in FML 6436]