I posted yesterday about my belief that our dogs would not want us to be miserable and dogless after they have passed over. One of my Facebook and Twitter friends Jenny Prevel replied with her experiences of loss and moving on, and a beautiful poem that expresses what a dog's feelings about the subject might be:
The Legacy
When humans die, they make a will
To leave their homes and all they have
To those they love.
I, too, would make a will if I could write.
To some poor wistful, lonely stray
I leave my happy home.
My dish, my cosy bed, my cushioned chair, my toy.
The well loved lap, the gentle stroking hand,
The loving voice.
The place I made in someone's heart.
The love that at last could help me to
A peaceful, painless end,
Held in loving arms.
If I should die, Oh do not say,
"No more a pet I'll have,
To grieve me by it's loss"
Seek out some lonely, unloved dog
And give my place to him.
This is the legacy I leave behind -
Tis all I have to give.
--author unknown