| Being a veterinarian, I had
been called to examine a 10-year-old blue heeler named Belker. The dog's
owners - Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane - were all very
attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family
there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the
euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be
good for four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane
could learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family
surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last
time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.
Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty
or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering
aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me
- I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to be good - like
loving everybody and being nice, right?"
The 4 year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so
they don't have to stay as long."
Author Unknown |