A child who wrote to God about her deceased pet received a kind letter and a book to help her with her bereavement in response.
Global – In mid-August 2006, the San Antonio family of Greg and Joy Scrivener and their three children suffered the loss of Abbey, their 14-year-old dog. Driven by concern for their pet’s future welfare, 4-year-old Meredith, the Scriveners’ middle child, dictated the note quoted above to her mother, then enclosed it and two photos of the family dog in an envelope addressed “To: God in Heaven.” This envelope, bearing the family’s return address, was dropped into a mailbox at the Brook Hollow post office.
Dear God,
Will you please take special care of our dog, Abbey? She died yesterday and is heaven. We miss her very much. We are happy that you let us have her as our dog even though she got sick. I hope that you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and swim before she got sick. I am sending some pictures of her so that when you see her in heaven, you will know she is our special dog. But I really do miss her.
Love,
Meredith ClaireP.S.: Mommy wrote the words after Mer told them to her.
They put that in an envelope with 2 pictures of Abbey and addressed it to God/Heaven. They also put their return address on it. Then Mer stuck some stamps on the front (because, as she said, it may take lots of stamps to get a letter all the way to heaven) and that afternoon her mom let her drop it into the letterbox at the post office.
For a few days, she would ask if God had gotten the letter yet. Joy told her that she thought He had.
Two weeks later, the Scriveners found a package wrapped in gold-coloured paper on their front porch. It was addressed “To: Mer.” In the parcel, along with the letter from “God” quoted above, was a book by Fred Rogers (of TV’s Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood fame), When a Pet Dies (a book that “helps children share feelings of the loss of a pet while offering reassurance that grieving is a natural, healing thing to do”).
Taped to the inside front cover was the letter they had written to God, in its opened envelope (which was marked ‘Return to Sender: Insufficient address’). On the opposite page, one of the pictures of Abbey was taped under the words “For Meredith.”
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They turned to the back cover, and there was the other picture of Abbey, and this handwritten note on pink paper:
Dear Mer,
I know that you will be happy to know that Abbey arrived safely and soundly in Heaven! Having the pictures you sent to me was such a big help. I recognised Abbey right away.
You know, Meredith, she isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me — just like she stays in your heart — young and running and playing. Abbey loved being your dog, you know. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets! — so I can’t keep your beautiful letter. I am sending it to you with the pictures so that you will have this book to keep and remember Abbey.
One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I hope the little book helps.
Thank you for your beautiful letter. Thank your mother for sending it. 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 am in heaven and wherever there is love.
Love,
God, and the special angel who wrote this after God told her the words.
As a parent and a pet lover, this is one of the kindest things that the family have ever experienced.
“I have no way to know who sent it, but there is some very kind soul working in the dead letter office. Just wanted to share this act of compassion 🙂 dear friend — hope you enjoy it as much as I did.”
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