A Dogs Prayer --Written By Unknown Author, 1982 Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me. Do not break my spirit with a stick for, though I should lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me learn. Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear. Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I am a domesticated animal, no longer accustomed to bitter elements. I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Keep my pan filled with water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side and stand ready, willing, and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger. And, my friend, when I am very old, and no longer enjoy good health, hearing and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having any fun. Please see that my trusting life is taken gently. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath that I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands.... I will always be your best friend. A Man And His Dog A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stonewall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother of pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road, which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. "Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there" The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. The Starfish --Unknown Author Once upon a time, there was an old fisherman who lived in a cottage near the sea. Every morning, the old man arose from his sleep, dressed, and went down to the seashore for a walk. Every morning, the shore was littered with starfish who had washed ashore during the night. Every morning, the old man picked up starfish who were struggling on the shore and tossed them back into the sea. This act of kindness prevented the starfish from dying in the heat of the sun later in the morning. One morning, after a particularly heavy storm, the shore was thick with struggling starfish. The old man was actively engaged in tossing them back into the sea, when a bright young man approached him and asked him what he was doing. “I'm rescuing starfish who are stranded on the shore, so they won't die baking in the sun," the old man replied. The young man looked at him with astonishment. "Look at the shore! It's covered with starfish! There's no way you can save them all! You're just wasting your time! What you're doing just doesn't matter in the big picture," the young man said. The old man shrugged, picked up another starfish, and tossed it into the sea."It mattered to that one," he replied. Autumn author-- Christy Caballero What do we do when our loving pets face the last leg of life's race? We do all we can to help them finish well, of course. We take time to recognize the unspoken needs of the friends we've come to know intimately. We give the gentle reassurance of a loving touch when our old dog seems confused for no reason. We groom them faithfully, but more gently, as age may bring muscle wasting and arthritic bones aren't so well padded. We learn to slow down for their sake as they enjoy the scent of the wind or track a visitors trail across their yard. We expect to be inconvenienced and aren't angry when it happens. We watch for pain and treat it; watch for changes in vision and hearing and do what we can to help preserve those precious senses for as long as possible. We take care of their teeth and make sure their food is a manageable texture for them. We remind them of the need for a potty walk when they seem to forget. We remember the little rewards. We scratch the graying ears and tummy and go for car rides together. When the pet we love has an unexplained need for comfort we give it freely. When infirmities bring a sense of vulnerability we become our old guardian's protector. We watch their deepest slumbers, when dreams take them running across fields of long-ago. We remember those fields, too. When they cannot stand alone we lift them. When their steps are uncertain we steady them. And if their health fails it falls to us to make the choice that will gently put them to rest. But until that is absolutely necessary we pause and watch the autumn sun warm our old friend's bones. And we realize that autumn is not a bad time of year at all. Old age is not a disease or a reason to give up. It is a stage of life that brings its own changes. Autumn is the beautiful season of harvest. And sometimes the harvest is love.

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