Here is a topic that has some relevance to Life in Fairbanks... the ground is frozen, so burial is not possible. My plan had always been that if any of my pets passed away in Winter, I'd leave them in the shed to freeze until spring. But when it actually happened, this plan became obviously unfeasible... For starters, the body would thaw long before the ground would. Additionally, there are some days when air temperatures come above freezing in Winter--what then? A partially decomposing rabbit? No. And I could not do less than give Mr. B. some sort of honorable end, lest I fear him haunting me at night. I decided to have him cremated, to scatter in a nice patch of dandelions or anything else he'd like to eat, come summer.
I've heard of people with elderly pets pre-digging graves for them before the ground freezes for Winter, in case the need should arise, but that just seems really sad and morbid, to me. I'd rather not think about my pets' passing until it actually happens. The cost of cremation is small, compared to my feeling of doing the right thing by an ill-tempered rabbit whose vengeance I fear!
Mr. B. is the first pet I've ever lost who shared little mutual affection with me. Yet I'd had him for so long, almost my entire adult life, and though he provided little in the way of friendship, he did provide lots of entertainment and conversational topics among other animal lovers. Everyone is amused by tales of being harangued by an angry rabbit!
My recent hare loss has me musing on death in general. It is inconceivable to me that he is actually just gone, which I should believe if I were truly a devout atheist. But my religious training offers no explanation for animals, either, dismissing them as mere objects. I personally believe that he is somewhere, harumphing and grumphing in another world.
Here is a story I've enjoyed time and again. Another one I enjoy is the story of the Rainbow Bridge. However, I do not flatter myself that His Majestic Grumphusness, Mr. Grumpylicious McDoofus, Harumpher Extraordinaire, will wait anywhere for me!
3 comments:
Muffingirl is waiting for me on the other side of rainbow bridge and Bunn is waiting for Millie on the other side of rainbow bridge since she was his best friend. All animals go to heaven.
By the way, I like your "heaven and hell" story.
"Heaven and Hell" (minus the horse) is just like an episode of the original Twilight Zone, called "The Hunt." It makes me cry every time I see it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_(The_Twilight_Zone)
Wikipedia says that The Hunt "resembles a tale in the Mahabharata known as Yudhisthira's final test. Located in the 18th parva, Yudhisthira refuses to go into heaven unless he can take his dog. Thus proving his loyalty, he passes the final test for heaven and the dog transforms into Dharma, his father."
Post a Comment