The Other Side of the Bridge
By Dennis Young
There once was a man named Dan who had a dog that he loved very much. He and his
dog spent many wonderful years together. But the dog got old and the spark that
burned so brightly for so long slowly got dimmer and dimmer until one day it went out,
and the dog died.
Dan mourned the death of his dog and wondered why, but he knew in his heart that
someday he would have to say good-bye. Dan had many dogs after that one, and he loved
them all. But none so much as he loved the first one.
After a long life, Dan's spark got dimmer until it went out, and before he knew what had
happened he found himself at a place called the Rainbow Bridge. Lots of dogs were there,
and he looked around to see if his friend of so long ago was among them. Then, suddenly
he saw her, and she saw him and a joyous reunion began. They romped, and rolled in the
grass until they were both so tired that they just laid down in the grass, and went to sleep.
When they awoke there was a man in a shimmering white robe standing there, and he
told them, “It's time to come home now my sons.”
Dan looked at his dog then at the man in the white robe and asked, “How do we get there?”
The man in the white robe smiled and said, “Cross the bridge and follow the path and it will take you home.”
So, Dan and his dog crossed the bridge, and they followed the path, and along the way
they saw the things that they had done in their lives on Earth, some things good, and some
not. Yet, they soon found the end of the path, and at the end of the path they found a
place with high walls, and gates of gold.
They knocked on the gates, and the gates were opened for them. They entered, and the
man in the white robe that they had seen earlier was there. But this time he was sitting on
a golden throne, and he had a king's crown upon his head. He looked at them, and smiled
and said, “Welcome home my sons.”
Dan looked at his dog then looked at the man in the robe and asked,“Is this heaven?”
The man in the robe smiled, and said, “ Yes, I guess you could call this heaven, but I just
call it home.”
“They asked the man in the robe, are you God?” The man in the robe said I have been called
by many names, but you may call me God if you like.
Dan looked at his dog, then looked back at God and asked, “May we enter?”
God looked at them, and said, “You may enter my sons.”
With that, two other gates opened that had been unseen until then, and Dan and his dog
stepped into a place like none that they had ever seen before, for as far as the eye could see, there were rolling hills, and meadows of green clover, and the bluest skies that they had ever seen.
There were others there too, man and animal alike. Some that they knew, and some that
they didn't. But they were all doing the same thing, they were all welcoming them, Home.
The End
