"I Must Go First"

"I must go first to pave the way"
CoCo said to himself
"Taterbug is fast approaching her Forever Day
and I have to cross over to help"

She puts on a brave face for others
But I know she's scared, frail and gray
I'm tough and strong so I can help her
Journey on her Forever Day

I'll be there waiting so she can see
That I'm healthy, strong and free
When she takes her last earthly breath
And steps into Eternity

I will show her the wonders of Heaven
Through meadow and fields we roam
And we will watch over Momma and Daddy
Till our good Lord calls them home

It could be tomorrow, maybe even today,
or 50 years from now
But the time is known only to one
Only our loving Father can say

But we will wait forever
Side by side, Paw in paw
Until that beautiful day
When Momma and Daddy hear God's call

And as they cross over into the Heavenly light
We will run to them, tails wagging,
And say, "Welcome, Momma and Daddy"
"What took you so long?"
To everyone we've been bragging

Of the love you gave and the tears shed
After we were gone
We wanted to stay-we tried to say
You were never, ever alone

We saw the countless tears you weeped
And knew that inside you were hurting
But the tears were a witness, the angels said
Of your devotion, longing, and loving

So now you are with us again
For Eternity, never to be parted
The moment that you arrived here
Our true lives just got started

I wonder

I wonder, are my little dogs, Taterbug and Coco, sitting in the lap of Jesus? I wonder, do they know how loved they truly were? I wonder do they know that I thought of them as more than "just dogs", but as friends, companions and family members? I wonder, do they watch over us with love beaming down from Heaven? I wonder do they know that their passing has left a void in my heart that will never get better? I wonder if they are younger, healthy, vibrant and awake everyday with a new found sense of wonder in Paradise? I wonder, if when I looked into their beautiful eyes was I really looking into the face of God? I wonder if I was worthy of the undying love that a beautiful dog is capable of giving? I wonder if they have forgiven me for any of the faults and short-comings I had as a human and as their Daddy? I wonder, if when my Forever day happens, will they be at the gates of Paradise to meet me with kisses, licks, tail wags and happy barks? I wonder these things often but know that they are indeed CoCo and Taterbug's reality. The only pain ever caused by a beloved pet is with their passing. Rest easy my babies. Daddy and Momma love and miss you and talk about you all the time. You two cut out huge portions of real estate in our hearts.

THE SPIRIT OF A DOG


I was standing on a hillside
In a field of blowing wheat,
And the spirit of a dog
Was lying at my feet.

He looked at me with kind dark eyes,
Ancient wisdom shining through.
In the essence of his being,
I saw the love there too.

His mind did lock upon my heart
As I stood there on that day,
And he told me of this story
About a place so far away.

As I stood upon that hillside
In a field of blowing wheat,
In a twinkling of a second
His spirit left my feet.

His tale did put my heart at ease,
All my fears did fade away
About what lay ahead of me
On another distant day:

I live among God's creatures now
In the heavens of your mind,
So do not grieve for me, my friend,
As I am with my kind.

My collar is a rainbow's hue,
My leash is a shooting star.
My boundaries are the Milky Way
Where I sparkle from afar.

There are no pens or kennels here
For I am not confined,
But I'm free to roam God's heavens
Among the Doggie kind.

I nap the day on a snowy cloud
Gentle breezes rocking me,
And dream the dreams of earthlings,
And how it used to be.

The trees are full of liver treats,
And tennis balls abound,
And milk bones line the walkways
Just waiting to be found.

There even is a ring set up,
The grass all lush and green;
And everyone who gaits around
Becomes the Best of Breed.

For we're all winners in this place;
We have no faults, you see.
And God passes out those ribbons
To each one, even me.

I drink from waters laced with gold,
My world a beauty to behold;
And wise old dogs do form my pride
To amble at my very side.

At night I sleep in angel's arms,
Her wings protecting me,
And moonbeams dance about us
As stardust falls on thee.

So when your life on Earth is spent
And you stand at Heaven's gate,
Have no fear of loneliness —
For here, you know, I wait.　

We love you so much Taterbug and CoCo. We miss you until we meet again