Sylvanas

I was just finishing up my tea when one of the angel fuzzies brought me a message from The Boss. It was very early in the morning, but I had already been up for awhile. It seems I was greeting a very special girl named Sylvanas this morning. How I wish that there was a morning I did not have to meet a fuzzy at the Bridge, but there is a world of fuzzies down where the Hoomins live, and The Boss doesn't make mistakes.

I took my last sip of luke-warm tea and headed down to the Bridge. It was getting a bit cooler and the leaves were changing color and falling. It was not too cold, however - just cool enough for the fuzzies to be comfortable.

I was almost to the Bridge when I spotted Sylvanas. She was a sweet looking little sable girl who had the brightest eyes I had seen in awhile. I called out her name, and she turned to look at me.

"Hello Sylvanas. My name is Sandee, and I'm a fuzzy just like you, although I'm a bit older," I said, trying not to look *too* old, "Do you know where you're at?"

"I'm not sure about anything, about what happened, or how I got here, or where I'm at, or..."

I could see that she was a bit panicked, so I went over to her and wrapped my paws around her to comfort her.

"Don't you worry, sweetie," I said, "You're at the Bridge, where everything is peaceful, and nothing from the Hoomin World can hurt you anymore. The Boss has made your body healthy and whole, and the only thing you have to do here is play and be happy."

Sylvanas seems to be a bit less upset, and she took a look around. The leaves were swirling, and the creek under the Bridge glistened with the sun. I could see that things were not quite right with Sylvanas, however.

"Oh, this seems like a wonderful place to play, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to be here. I had my brother Uther, and my hoomin Alexandra, and all my other mates, and they need me... and I need them. I can't be here! I lost my brother once already and I need to be with him..."

"Aye, dear, I know you miss him, but he's where he should be, in the Hoomin World keeping Alexandra's heart safe. She misses you horribly, and it is only because of Uther that her heart is not completely broken."

I paused for a second, hoping to see something in her soft eyes that understood what I was saying. The things I was saying to her were difficult to understand, but here at the Bridge, understanding meant everything. Sylvanas looked troubled.

"I don't understand The Boss' way all the time - why he lets brothers and sisters become separated, or why he brings one or the other to the Bridge when it's time. Only He knows why things are done the way they are. We just have to try and understand..."

"But I don't want to understand, Sandee," she sobbed, "I just want to be with my family like it used to be when we were all together. I don't want to be alone again..."

I held Sylvanas as she cried a bit, and felt my fur getting wet from her tears. Such a sensitive and loving soul she had, and I so wanted to comfort her.

"Aye, Sylvanas, you're going to have to dry your eyes a bit and listen to me, my sweetie."

She stopped sobbing, took a deep breath and let out a soft sigh...

"Remember when you and Uther were separated? How you came to live with Alexandra and Uther went to live with someone else? That wasn't such a nice thing, was it?"

I could feel Sylvanas shaking her head on my shoulder, and I continued.

"But even after being separated from your brother, The Boss saw to it somehow that you and he got together, isn't that right? Didn't Uther finally come home to you?"

I felt her nod, and she breathed just a bit more calmly as I spoke.

"Well, sweetie, The Boss saw fit to find a way to get you and your brother together, didn't he? Why would he do that, just to take the both of you away from each other again? Everyone who's loved another in the Hoomin World meets up here, you best believe that, dear. Imagine if The Boss had you and Uther come to the Bridge at the same time.. wouldn't it have broken Alexandra's heart to lose the both of you at once? You wouldn't want her heart broken like that now, sweetie, would you?"

"Why.... why, no.. I would not want that... I hadn't thought of that, Sandee. I just miss everyone, that's all. I don't want anyone to feel bad."

"Aye, but we all have to leave the Hoomin World sometime, Sylvanas. I wish I knew why, but I don't. I do know that The Boss always has a reason for what He does, whether we know what it is, or not. If we never had to leave our lives in the Hoomin World, they would not be so precious to us, I think."

Sylvanas took a deep breath and lifted her head from my shoulder. My fur was soaked with her tears, but it still felt warm.

"Think about it, my sweet one, if The Boss brought you and Uther together once, don't you trust that he'll do it again eventually? It doesn't always happen when you want it to, but it *will* happen, don't you think?"

Sylvanas spoke in a low voice, and whispered in my ear, "Yes, Sandee, I think maybe it will... maybe..."

"Besides, it is not like you're alone here at the Bridge. Alexandra had other fuzzies you can be mates with up here, did you know that, sweetie? In a bit I will take you to meet up with Mischief, Figaro and Tinkerbelle. Won't that be grand? You are certainly not here by yourself, my dear one. There's a whole Bridge of fuzzies up here for you to play with..."

"Really, there are?" Sylvanas said as she pulled from my paws, "I would really like to be with my mates. I have so many questions, so many things I would like to know."

Sylvanas seemed to cheer up upon hearing that she would have mates to talk to. She started prancing, and broke into a polite wardance - such an excited fuzzy she was.

"Well, then," I exclaimed, "Why don't we got and meet up with them now? I will show you to your hidey-hole, get you something good to eat, and then you and your mates can play together. Wouldn't that be...?"

Before I could get all the words out, Sylvanas had wrapped her paws around me and bit my ear! It stung a bit, but it make me laugh out loud, just a little. Immediately, she started to apologize..

"Oh, I'm so sorry Sandee, I'm just so relieved and excited, I didn't mean to bite you like that..."

"Aye, little one, I kind of expected that - The Boss had warned me that you liked ears, and it really didn't hurt at all," I said smiling with a bit of a grimace, "I am just happy to see you feeling better."

Sylvanas and I warhopped together to her new hidey-hole, and on the way I showed her where some of the other fuzzies lived. She pranced, trotted, and wardanced like a happy fuzzy, her mind somewhat at ease now. She wore me out, warhopping all over the place with her new and healthy body.

All this wardancing had left me thirsty, so I left her with her mates and went back to my own hidey-hole and made myself a pot of tea. Later on that afternoon, I heard Sylvanas' voice laughing and giggling, along with the voices of other fuzzies, but it sounded like it was coming from overhead. I got up, went outside and looked, and who do you think got her wings?.. :)

-Sandee Ferrit

Jilly

I finished my tea early this morning. Today I needed to be at the Bridge early. I would be meeting a new arrival named Jilly today. It was going to be hard because Jilly wasn't going to know why she was coming here. I would have to explain things to her.

I met Jilly at the foot of the Bridge. She was a bit shaken, as one might expect. I went over to her and put my arms around her, feeling her tremble a bit. I held her for awhile without saying anything. I could tell this was very difficult for her to understand, and first I needed her to know she was safe.

After Jilly stopped trembling, she took a look around. All of a sudden she stretched out her paws and realized that she felt much better than she felt in the Hoomin World. She was no longer tired, or sick. I could see the bewilderment in her eyes.

"Jilly, my name is Sandee, and I greet all the fuzzies who come to the Bridge. Do you know where you are?"

"I think I do," Jilly replied, looking up at the perfect clouds and beautiful blue sky, "It's a very beautiful place. And I feel so much better, now. I think I remember my hoomin Ian talking about this place. I wish he was here with me.."

"Ah, my sweet fuzzy, that is not something any of us have anything to say about. The Boss has all of us come here whenever he feels it is time. It is hard to understand, I know.."

"But what happened to me? I remember Ian, my hoomin, taking me to another hoomin who gave me a shot... I don't understand, why did he do that, and why didn't he come here with me? This doesn't make any sense."

I knew this was going to be very hard to explain. I wished the Boss made it so that fuzzies and hoomins could talk to each other in the Hoomin World, but that is not how he designed it. I suppose the Boss knows what he's doing, but it has always puzzled me. It would be so much easier if fuzzies and hoomins could explain things to each other. I would have to be the one to explain it to Jilly.

"You were a very sick fuzzy, Jilly. The other hoomin Ian took you to was a doctor for fuzzies like yourself, and he was hoping he could take your sickness away."

"But he did! He *did* take my sickness away. I feel so much better now!"

"No, Jilly.. he was not able to take your sickness away. It is only when you got here that the Boss took your sickness away."

"But I don't understand..."

"I know you don't, sweetie. The fuzzy doctor knew that he could not make you better, and did not want to see you in pain, so he gave you a shot that took your pain away. It is difficult to understand, but he gave you that shot because Ian loved you very much. I know it's hard to understand, but you have to try..."

"So, why didn't Ian come with me? Couldn't Ian come here to keep my company? I miss him so much..."

"Oh sweetie, you do not want Ian to come here for you, not quite yet. Trust me, Jilly, your hoomin Ian wants to see you as much as you want to see him, but it is not his time yet. Ian has other fuzzies he has to care for, and he has to finish out his purpose in the Hoomin World. That is how the Boss designed it, sweetie. I wish I could explain it better, but you are just going to have to try and understand the best you can. One day, Ian will come to see you, and you will see all the fuzzies you used to play with, too! But it can't be today, sweetie.. do you understand?"

Jilly sighed and looked at me.

"I don't know if I understand. All I know is that I miss Ian and my mates. I will have to figure all of this out, Sandee."

I stepped up to Jilly and put my arms around her and gave her a squeeze. She was crying a bit, and her tears wet my fur. But I knew she would eventually understand. It always takes new fuzzies some time to get used to the fact that they are somewhere else. It is not so easy for their hoomins, either.

"C''mon with me, Jilly. I have lots of stuff to show you. I want to show you your new hidey-hole. It's very nice, dark with lots of blankets, so when you want to take a nap you will be very comfortable. And food- we have all kinds of food here, and you can eat as much as you want! And there are so many new fuzzies here for you to play with while you wait for Ian. This will all help you feel better in time, Jilly."

I took Jilly's paw and lead her off the Bridge to show her her new home. She even smiled a bit, watching the birds play chase through the trees. I showed her the new hidey-hole the Boss made for her, complete with wonderful soft blankets. She was so excited that she took a dive right into her new hammy! Jilly yawned a few times, curled up and went to sleep. I left quietly, so as not to disturb her. Things would be all right... I knew they would. ;)

-Sandee Ferrit

Zen (arrived on August 21st, 2009)

I was just finishing up my morning tea, when the Boss sent me a message telling me I had a fuzzy to greet today. It is always a sad day when I have to greet a new fuzzy, but it is also a happy day, as well. When a fuzzy comes to the Bridge, he leaves all his pain and troubles in the Hoomin World, but he also has to leave those whom he loved, and those who loved him. It is something we all must do one day...

My new arrival was a sparkling silver-mitt fuzzy named Zen. Being a Bridge greeter, I knew a bit about zen and zen philosophy. It is a philosophy of calmness and peace, and of things not being one, and not being two. It makes me smile how silly hoomins can make up things so strange and yet so wonderful. I looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was coming up - it was time to head to the Bridge to meet our new arrival.

I spotted Zen sitting at the side of the Bridge looking out over the water. It was a beautiful day, with a gentle breeze, and the water formed small ripples. Zen just stared at them, like he was meditating. He looked a bit sad, though, like he was missing something. I hurried over to him and offered him my paw.

"Welcome to the Bridge, Zen," I said to him as we touched paws.

I noticed a tear in his eye and I knew right away what was bothering him. Zen tried to keep it to himself, but I could tell he was missing his hoomin, Randie. No matter how many fuzzies I greeted at the Bridge, their tears always brought one or two of my own. I walked over to Zen and gave him a big fuzzy hug.

"It is so nice here," Zen spoke quietly, as if lost in thought.

"Yes, the Boss sees to it that we have a beautiful place to play and pass the time. There is so much to do here, and so many fuzzies to meet and play chase with. How are you feeling, Zen?"

"I am fine. I don't feel tired, and I don't hurt anymore."

That is always the first thing the Boss does when a fuzzy arrives at the Bridge. He heals them from all their sicknesses, grows their hair back, and makes them feel like kits again. Not sure what to do next, I asked Zen if he wanted to go meet the other fuzzies and see his new hidey-hole. He just stared at the water. I could not let this be.

"You are missing your hoomin, aren't you, Zen?" I said.

He nodded. When he nodded, his silvery fur caught the sun and made him look so handsome, and his body looked like a pastel rainbow. The sun at the Bridge seemed to do that with silver fuzzies - it brought out all the wonderful colors hidden in their fur. Ah, that reminded me - I knew something that might make Zen feel better...

"Zen, I have something the Boss wanted you to have. I was going to give it to you a bit later, but I think it would be OK if I gave it to you now."

I showed Zen the blue, red, and green blanket Randie had comforted him with when he was sick. The Boss had given it to me just a bit earlier so I could give it to him, and I thought this would be the perfect time. Before he took it, I took a corner of it and wiped the tears from his eyes. Zen's eyes seemed to brighten a bit. He took it from me and held it against his face, sticking his nose deep into it. He started to smile and closed his eyes..

"I can smell Randie on it!" he said excitedly, "It smells just like home..."

Zen breathed in several deep breaths, the blanket against his face. It always amazes me how the Boss knows just what to do to make a fuzzy feel at home here at the Bridge, even though they are without their hoomins. Zen clutched his blanket and started to look around. All of a sudden, his ferret curiosity kicked in and he started to hop around a bit, leave the Bridge to wander around the flower bushes at the end of the walkway. Zen was becoming a playful fuzzy again! I closed my eyes and smiled, then opened them to see him doing his first wardance at the Bridge. He wardanced like he hadn't wardanced in ages! It was a wonderful sight to see.

I explained to Zen how the Bridge worked, and that one day, but hopefully not for a long while, he would see his hoomin again. It's always hard for a fuzzy to wait, as it would be for anyone to wait to see the ones they loved, but Zen seemed to understand, and he did just fine. Every time he would start to feel sad, he would clutch his blanket to his nose, he would smile, and things would be better.

"C'mon Zen, let me show you where all the goodies are. We have great stuff to munch on up here. Do you like to dig? We got all kinds of dirt and sand for you to dig in. Oh, and there's a whole hill full of tunnels where all the fuzzies play chase. And guess what? A little later on, I get to introduce you to the Boss! The Boss is just an amazing guy."

Zen smiled a calm little smile and took my paw, clutching his blanket with the other paw.

"I want to thank the Boss for my blanket. Can we do that now?" Zen said softly, "I just want to tell Him how much it means to me. Then maybe after that, we can go meet the fuzzies and play chase?"

I smiled. Zen looked at me anxiously. Most fuzzies want to start playing right away, and when they realize they are no longer sick or hurting, they want to jump around and wardance as much as they can. But Zen was a thoughtful fuzzy, one that I'm sure the Boss would want to meet right away.

"I think we can do that," I said, wryly smiling, and I gave Zen a wink.

Zen looked at me like he was about to burst, took one giant warhop towards me and kissed me on the nose! Ah, I'm just a sucker for fuzzy kisses. I might just even be able to talk the Boss into giving this little cutie his wings right away...

-Sandee Ferrit

For all the Rescue Kids

~

For all the Rescue Kids

Near the clouds of heaven,
where good hoomins sometimes go,
Is a special cloud, made for fer'ts,
where paws bounce to and fro.
Many know this cloud to be,
the top of Rainbow Bridge,
Where well-kept fer'ts wait their time
- but also Rescue Kids.

God saw fit for Rescue Kids,
to be with ones from homes,
It was never meant for any fer't,
to be separated and alone,
They play together, romp and run,
and never are in need,
They even nip God's hands, sometimes
- but His hands never bleed ;)

Rescue Kids have known the pain,
of living lives alone,
Abused, neglected, shuffled 'round;
love for them postponed,
But some kind Souls with Hearts of Gold,
they see beyond their fears,
And help them with their furry needs,
sometimes behind their tears...

But even though these Golden Souls,
do all that they can do,
God knows that Rescue Kids need more
- they need a life anew
He gives them all hearts just like His,
as strong and just as big,
Lush flowered fields to wardance on,
and dirt for them to dig.

And when the ones with hoomin homes
have left this place of bliss,
To be with ones they've learned to love,
to be with ones they miss,
The Rescue Kids are not forgot,
nor left again alone,
For God has surely thought of this
- for them, He finds a home.

For even Golden Souls get tired,
and need to find their rest,
From broken hearts and loving hard,
and trying to do their best,
God leads them up the Rainbow Bridge,
and opens up the Gate,
And never again, these Rescue Kids,
will ever have to wait...

~

by Sandee Ferrit

Lillie at the Bridge

This greeting is a very special greeting. It is dedicated to all ferrets who have been abused or neglected. May they all one day find peace.

~Sandee Ferrit

The Boss had told me just a day ago that I was going to be greeting a fuzzy named Lillie. When I looked on my new-arrivals list, I realized that I had no information on Lillie whatsoever. That was rather odd. How was I supposed to know it was her? I did not know what she looked like, who her hoomins were (if any), or what it was that had caused her to come to the Bridge. All I knew was her name - Lillie.

I wanted to know more about Lillie, so I went to go see the Boss. When I asked about Lillie, I could see in his eyes that he was disquieted, and he remained silent. He looked like he wanted to say something, but choked it back. I was dumbfounded. I had never seen the Boss like this before. I didn't know what to make of it. I could not tell if he was saddened or angry, because I really hadn't see him in either condition. More or less, what he looked like was tired. I left him not really knowing what to think.

I headed down to the Bridge. When I got there, however, The Boss was already there. I approached the Bridge to look for Lillie, but the Boss turned his head gently as if he meant me to stop. He was kneeling on the Bridge, and in his hands he held a small, sable-colored female fuzzy. She didn't look to be two years old, and was nowhere big enough to fill the Boss' hands. She was peacefully sleeping, her tail tucked over her nose. Breathing slowly and quietly, she looked just like any other fuzzy. Every once in a while, however, I would hear her whimper softly in her sleep. Each time she whimpered, the Boss would take his finger and ever so gently stroke the back of her head and neck. It seemed to soothe her, and she moved a bit, curling tighter into a ball.

Was this Lillie? Watching the Boss and this sleeping fuzzy together made me feel as if I should quiesce. It was a very intimate thing watching them both. I wanted to ask the Boss what was happening, and if this was Lillie, but I decided that I shouldn't disturb either one of them. I sat on the ground near the end of the Bridge and waited patiently.

The Boss stayed on the Bridge for hours with this young fuzzy in his hands. For bits and pieces, I fell asleep, but then awoke again to find the Boss still kneeling in the same position he was in when I had closed my eyes. I didn't know what to do, exactly, so I stayed still. I thought to myself that if this wasn't Lillie, then Lillie must not be coming. But that couldn't be right, could it? The Boss wouldn't have told to me to come here if Lillie wasn't coming, would he? It must be her, I thought. Who else could it have been? I remained right where I sat. Besides, sitting here with the Boss was something that hardly any of us ever got to do, and it was very peaceful. I felt as if nothing could harm me. I would wait as long as he needed me to.

The Boss knelt there silently for hours while the young fuzzy slept, and only occasionally would she whimper. Her whimperings became less frequent, and over the hours they eventually stopped. Occasionally, he would stroke her head and neck, and she would stretch a bit, yawn, and then curl back up into a ball. I hadn't noticed it before, but there was no wind blowing the leaves of the trees at the Bridge. The stream under the Bridge was almost glass-like, flowing with almost no sound. It was as if the wind and the water were trying to be still for the Boss and this young fuzzy. I smiled, and slowly nodded my head. Ay, I knew myself what they were trying to do. We were one, the wind, the water, and I.

Suddenly the Boss stood, the young fuzzy still in his hands. She was stretching and yawning, and appeared to have started to awaken. The Boss looked over at me and told me that he would be back, and then he took the young fuzzy somewhere else without ever telling me where they were going. I waited. What else could I do? He had told me that he would be back, and I'm sure that he was expecting me to be here. I still didn't know if this young fuzzy was Lillie or not, but it seemed not to matter so much now.

The Boss returned after a little while, and right away he came to me and held my paw. The warmth of his hands is something hard to explain. They just don't make your paws warm, they make your entire body feel warm and at ease. He looked at me and nodded. I knew that I could ask him now.

"Was that Lillie?" I asked.

"Aye," he said, "It was."

"Was?" That was a funny word to use? Didn't he mean "is?" Had something happened to Lillie? Was she still here? The Boss could see the look in my eyes, and he drew me close to him. It was an amazing feeling, being so close to the Boss. He explained to me what had happened to Lillie back in the Hoomin world. She had been abused by a despicable bunch of hoomins for qu ite some time. Luckily, a Kind Soul had rescued her. This Kind Soul could not keep Lillie, however, and Lillie went to live with a man who had promised to keep watch over her. The whole time Lillie was in the Hoomin world, the only fuzzy friend she had was her brother Vash, and for a short while they were very close. But the man was not what he had seemed, and even though the Kind Soul had checked in to watch over her, Lillie's mostly unhappy life was soon over.

"Was she hurt?" I asked the Boss.

"Aye, she was. Very badly, I'm afraid," the Boss replied.

It finally dawned on me what the Boss had been doing while he was kneeling at the Bridge with Lillie. I had felt it myself when he had taken my paw. He had been healing her in his hands! With every caress of his fingers, Lillie was being healed. All of this had happened while she painlessly slept. I wondered where Lillie was now. It had been on my mind ever since the Boss had used the word "was." I asked the Boss where she had gone.

"She's gone where you and your hoomin will someday go, Sandee," he replied, his face looking tired, "I cannot tell you where, only that one day you both will leave here for that place. It is a beautiful place, Sandee. Truly beautiful. You will just have to trust me."

"Did Lillie have any hoomins to go with her?" I asked.

"Aye, no - no hoomins will be going with her," he replied, "Eventually she will meet with her brother Vash. The hoomin that might have gone with her will not be going there. He has let her down, and has not earned his place there. It makes me quite sad, Sandee."

I quietly nodded my head. I left the Boss to head back to my hidey-hole, worn out from the experience. I was a bit wiser, however, and I thought I understood things a bit better. And then, I wasn't sure I understood things at all. It was difficult to understand exactly how I was feeling. All I could think about was Lillie and what had happened to her in the Hoomin world. As I walked back, something happened that had never before happened at the Bridge. The sky darkened, and the clouds turned grey and meshed into each other, hovering close to the ground. I felt a drop of water on my head, then a few more. I looked up into the sky and water pelted my eyes. My goodness, it was raining. For the first time ever at the Bridge, it was raining.

~Sandee Ferrit

Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge

"There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth called the Rainbow Bridge. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. They play each day with each other.

There is only one thing missing. They are not with their special Hoomin who loved them and took care of them on Earth. So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! The nose twitches!.. The ears are up!.. The eyes are staring!... And this one suddenly runs from the group.

When you and your special friend meet, you take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated."

~ author unknown ~

__________________________

Hi. My name is Sandee. I am an angel ferret, but do not let that fool you. We here at the Bridge love and cherish all animals. The Boss has given me the job to greet and take care of all the pets you hoomins have lost from your World. I promise to show them around, and comfort them (with a little help from The Boss) until the time you are sent to the Bridge yourself.

What is a Bridge greeting? It's where I tell a story about the arrival of your pet to the Rainbow Bridge, so you know that your pet made it here safe and sound. An example of a Bridge greeting can be found here: Lillie at the Bridge: Dedicated to all abused animals

To request a greeting, simply email me and tell me your pet's name along with a description of how your pet was on your World so I can get to know them and you better. Please include a picture of your pet if you have one. Email me at bridge.greeter @ gmx. com (all one word, broken down to defeat spam). Please include the words "bridge greeting" in your subject line so your email is not deleted as spam. You hoomins are so strange with this thing you call "spam."

I hope that I can help you feel better and comfort you and your pet when the time comes. The Boss sends his blessings.

With all my heart and soul,
Sandee Ferrit