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Storytime Tapestry Newsletter
The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural
awareness throughout the world.
Special Treat
July
23, 2007
This beautiful story was submitted by Victor Buhagiar with
author unknown, I checked with snoopes and the story is true
Submitted by
Victor Buhagiar
vbuhagiar@euroweb.net.mt
A STORY
ABOUT THE POSTAL SERVICE NO ONE HEARS ABOUT
Our 14 year old dog,
Abbey, died last month.
The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking
about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so
that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her.
She dictated and I wrote:
Dear God,
Will you please take special care of our dog, Abbey? She died yesterday and is
in heaven. We miss her very much. We are happy that you let us have her as our
dog even though she got sick. I hope that you will play with her. She liked to
play with balls and swim before she got sick. I am sending some pictures of her
so that when you see her in heaven you will know she is our special dog. But I
really do miss her.
Love,
Meredith Claire
P S: Mommy wrote the words after Meredith told them to her.
We put that in an envelope with two pictures of
Abbey, and addressed it to God in Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then
Meredith stuck some stamps on the front (because, as she said, it may take lots
of stamps to get a letter all the way to heaven) and that afternoon I let her
drop it into the letter box at the post office. For a few days, she would ask
if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.
Yesterday there was a package wrapped in gold
paper on our front porch.
Curious, I went to look at it. It had a gold star card on the front and said
"To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand.
Meredith took it in and opened it. Inside was a
book by Mr. Rogers, "When a Pet Dies". Taped to the inside front
cover was the letter we had written to God, in its opened envelope (which was
marked Return to Sender: Insufficient address). On the opposite page, one of
the pictures of Abbey was taped under the words "For Meredith" We
turned to the back cover, and there was the other picture of Abbey, and this
handwritten note on pink paper:
"Dear Meredith,
I know that you will be happy to know that Abbey
arrived safely and soundly in Heaven! Having the pictures you sent to me was
such a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
You know, Meredith, she isn't sick anymore. Her
spirit is here with me--just like she stays in your heart--young and running
and playing. Abbey loved being your dog, you know.
Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't
have any pockets!-- so I can't keep your beautiful letter. I am sending it to
you with the pictures so that you will have this book to keep and remember
Abbey.
One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I
hope the little book helps. Thank you for the beautiful letter. Thank your
mother for sending it. What a wonderful mother you have! I picked her
especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I
love you very much.
By the way, I am in heaven but wherever there is
love, I am there also.
Love,
God and the special angel who wrote this after God told her the words."
As a parent and a pet lover, this is one of the
kindest things that I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it,
but there is some very kind soul working in the dead letter office. Just wanted
to share this act of compassion.
What a wonderful thing someone did for this child!
According to www.snoopes.com, the story appeared in a San Antonio, newspaper:
Origins: Since October 2006, this story has come to us under a
variety of titles, including "Going Postal," "Angels at the Post
Office," "Angels Turn Up In Unexpected Places," and "This
is a US Postal Service
Story."
According to Cary Clack of the San Antonio Express-News, the tale is
real. In mid-August 2006, the San
Antonio family of Greg and Joy
Scrivener and their three children suffered the loss of Abbey, their
14-year-old black and white dog. Driven by concern for their pet's future
welfare, 4-year-old Meredith, the Scriveners' middle child,
dictated the note quoted above to her mother, then enclosed it and two photos
of the family dog in an envelope addressed "To: God in Heaven." This
envelope, bearing the family's return address, was dropped into a mailbox at
the Brook Hollow post office.
Two weeks later, the Scriveners found on their front porch a package wrapped in
gold-colored paper and addressed "To: Mer." In the parcel, along with
the letter from "God" quoted above, was a book by Fred Rogers (of
TV's Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood fame), When a Pet Dies (a book that
"helps children share feelings of the loss of a pet while offering
reassurance that grieving is a natural, healing thing to do").
According to her mother, Meredith was comforted by the book and letter and
was unastounded that God saw fit to write back. "She wasn't surprised
because she had such faith that her letter was going to get to God." (The
oldest of the Scrivener children, 6-year-old Andy, was impressed,
though: He "thought it was pretty special his sister got a book from the
angel," says his mum.)
While Mrs. Scrivener considered asking at the post office about the package,
she decided against it. "I kind of like not knowing," she said.
"I don't know who took the time to do it, but it was an angel. We all
think about doing these things, but no one takes the time to do it."
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