Benpaws

Dear Friends,
When Benny passed away almost a year ago and I was stricken with much grief with which many of you can identify, a very dear friend of mine who had been with me throughout the entire journey and continues to be my close and trusted friend wrote this to me."No matter how long we have our dogs in our lives, it is never long enough.


Our dogs live in the moment, while we live within a "lifetime." We learn so much from our dogs. Our dogs do not think about "would haves" and "could haves" and "should haves." I often try to imagine what it would be like, if every single moment was a lifetime, because, for our dogs, for your Benny, that is what life is all about . . . moments of lifetimes filled with love and joy, all for you, and it is so clear, that Benny knew when he had to turn his own special corner.


Now, I want to share a Hassidic tale with you, that I was introduced to "once upon a time."


One day a Rabbi gazed through the window of his study which looked out upon the marketplace. People were hurrying to and fro, each attending to his or her own particular business. Suddenly the Rabbi saw a familiar face.
"Hikel!" he called. "Come in, I want to speak with you."
"Shalom, Rabbi, how are you?"
"Thank God, I am fine. Tell me, Hickel, what were you doing in the marketplace?"
"Oh, I'm very busy today. I have a lot of business to take care of."
"Hikel," asked the Rabbi, "Have you looked up at the sky today?"
"At the sky, Rabbi? No, of course not. I'm too busy to look at the sky."
"Hikel, look out the window and tell me what you see."
"I see people and horses and carriages, all rushing around doing business."
"Hikel, the Rabbi said, "in fifty years there will be other people in other carriages, drawn by other horses, and we will not be here. And, Hikel, in a hundred years, neither the marketplace nor this town will even exist. Look at the sky, Hikel look at the sky!"


You and Benny never missed "a look at the sky."

I find myself often looking up into the sky and thinking of this "tale."
Hope it brings you some comfort.

I find myself thinking more and more of Benny as the date of his death approaches.

In friendship,
Joanne & Shadow