So True

A Dog's Purpose

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a
ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound 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 we couldn't do anything 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 six-year-old Shane to observe the
procedure. They felt as though Shane might 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, "People are born so that they can learn how
to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being
nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how
to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."