Being a veterinarian, I had been called to
examine a ten-year-old dog
named Spot. The dog's owners, Bob,
his wife, Jane, and their little boy, Josh,
were all very attached to Spot and they
were hoping for a miracle. I examined
Spot and found he was dying of cancer.
I told the family there were no miracles left
for Spot, and offered to perform the
euthanasia procedure for the old dog in
their home.
As we made arrangements, Bob and Jane
told me they thought it would be good for
the four-year-old Josh to observe the procedure.
They felt as though Josh might learn something
from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my
throat as Spot's family surrounded him.
Josh seemed so calm, petting the old dog
for the last time, that I wondered if he
understood what was going on. Within a
few minutes, Spot slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Spot's
transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Spot's death,
wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal
lives are shorter than human lives. Josh,
who had been listening quietly, piped up,
"I know why." Startled, we all turned to him.
What came out of his mouth next
stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting
explanation. He said, "People are born so that
they can learn how to live a good life --
like loving everybody and being nice, right?"
The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals
already know how to do that, so they don't
have to stay as long."
Author Unknown
