Author Information
THANKS WHITMAN
I ran across a photo of our old dog Whitman with Thanksgiving just a day away…
It was a photo of him healthy and happy…before his cancer took him away.
I remember before we got him, thinking why spend all that money…all that time
all that cleaning…all that doubt…
I mean all that time caring, all that worrying…what’s that all about?
Why put us through all the troubles we know we’ll have to go through?
Why give unconditional love to an animal who’s going to die before we do?
Until Whitman came into our lives…I didn’t know how one animal could reach us…
how, through his devotion and his love…he had so much he could teach us.
So I thought I’d take a moment today…to thank him for all he taught us as our guide.
He taught us about loyalty…he never left our side.
He taught us about gratitude…he was completely happy with our attention.
He taught us about friendship…with him there was no pretension
He taught us how to love and be loved…
so many lessons we needed to learn
like how giving is only genuine…when you ask for nothing in return.
He taught us how life is short…and when it was his time to leave
He taught us about sadness…he taught us how to grieve.
He taught us how life must go on…and that once we bid adieu…
how grieving is not something we get over…it’s something we get through.
All the lessons he taught us leads me to wonder in heaven…
(at least the heaven I prefer)
If some of the angels up there
will have wings made out of fur.
