A Dog's Purpose - from a 4-year old . . .
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a
ten-year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's
owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy,
Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were
hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I
told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker,
and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for
the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they
thought it would be good for the four-year old Shane
to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane
might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat
as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so
calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I
wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition
without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death,
wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives
are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been
listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his
mouth next stunned me.

I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how
to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the
time and being nice, right?" The four-year-old
continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so
they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak
kindly. Leave the rest to God.

That's great; I absolutely love it! Thanks for sharing...
K

I don't currently own a dog... but every dog we have ever owned was wonderful. Our cat who passed away about a year ago was a dog wannabe

Glad you liked it.

Talk about "out of the mouth of babes." He is absolutely right too!

Sniff. Sniff. Pure tears. What insight.