Letter From God

I received this email and needed to post it instead of forwarding it only to a few friends.. Beautiful!!

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God, 
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. 
Love, Meredith 

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith, 
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away. 
Abbey isn't sick any more. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. 
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.  I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love, God 

Happy Fourth of July from Oprah Winfrey

Ever since Oprah's finale, she has been sending mass emails to those who did email her at oprah@oprah.com.  I was one of those people and periodically I get messages from her.   I pretend they are only written to me.  It makes me feel special ;).  This is the latest.  It brought tears to my eyes.  God bless her.  

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Hello Friends of Summer

I'm So happy to be back in the USA.

Spent a week with my girls in S.A..

They were all stressed for tests, but doing fine. No major crisis this trip. 

I love being with them and talking to them about all things important.

When I 'm there I'm talking from the time I get up til I go to bed, about EVERYTHING teenage girls are going through. It's the same all over the world.

I'm going back this fall to teach a class; calling it Life 101.

All the stuff I wish someone had told me about how the world works.

Should be fun since I love to teach. And they're like sponges.

Like 12th graders everywhere this first class is both anxious and excited about going to college.

Most will be the first in their family. So it's a very big deal for them, and they're feeling the pressure. 

Nothing like going out of country to have an even deeper appreciation for our own U.S.A. The Freedom to have options, something we often take for granted, is the most striking to me.

When Chris Rock was last on the show he said, "real wealth is having options". I thought that was pretty profound.

I now stress to my girls that education prepares you to have options. Without it you have none. 

Just took a walk around the neighborhood watching sprinklers on the back lawn. (I love sprinklers) Made me think about the red dirt road I traveled from Mississippi (no sprinklers) to the here and now.

And how that journey could have only been possible in the U.S.A. 

I know the 4th of July has turned into picnics and fireworks, and barbecue moments. But it's worthy of a pause, to think about what it really means to have Freedom. 

And while we're pausing think about those who sacrifice to make it so. 

Wishing you all a Peaceful and Happy 4th of July.

Oprah