Little Meredith was devastated after her beloved dog suddenly passed away. She couldn't sleep or eat. One day, she wrote a letter to God and asked him for help as she couldn't bear the pain anymore.
Then, a few days later, her mother opened the front door to see a package wrapped in gold paper and addressed to her daughter. Who was it from?
14-Year-Old Dog
Joy and her husband Greg knew that the day would come soon. "14 years is old for a dog," Joy explained to her daughter.
Meredith loved their family dog, Abbey, with all of her heart. Every day after preschool, Meredith would call Abbey to play with her in the backyard, and they stayed there for hours. She couldn't imagine life without her best friend by her side.
In Heaven
Abbey passed away one morning in 2006. She passed peacefully in her sleep. Greg and Joy didn't know how to break the news to their children. How could they do this?
Joy explained to Meredith and her siblings that their family dog was now in Heaven with God and that she was playing with all of her doggy friends in a green beautiful forest. Little Meredith cried the entire day and refused to eat anything. Then, she did something no one expected.
Concerns
The next morning, Meredith asked her mother a very strange question. “But how will God recognize Abbey, mommy?” she asked Joy sadly.
"Well, let's write him a letter," she responded. Joy got a piece of paper and a pen and asked her daughter to dictate the words to her.
The Letter
"Dear God," Meredith's letter began.
“Will you please take special care of our dog, Abbey? She died yesterday and is in heaven. We miss her very much. We are happy that you let us have her as our dog even though she got sick,” Meredith dictated to her mother.
Letter To God
"I hope that you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and swim before she got sick," the letter continued.
“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 Claire.” Then, Meredith and her mother picked their two favorite photos of Abbey, and they put them into the envelope. Little did they know, their letter would soon become an internet legend.
Mysterious Package
Joy wrote their return address on the envelope and went to the Brook Hollow post office to mail it to Heaven.
Then, a few days later, the family received a mysterious package on the front porch. It was wrapped in a beautiful gold-color paper, and the card addressed “To: Mer.” Who was it from?
"When a Pet Dies"
Joy ran to her daughter's room, shouting, "Meredith, Meredith! You won't believe what came for you in the mail!"
Little Meredith quickly unwrapped the package, and inside was a book titled “When a Pet Dies,” written by Mr. Rogers.
An Unexpected Reply
“Inside the front cover was the letter we had written to God, in its opened envelope (which was marked ‘Return to Sender: Insufficient address’), there was a letter,” Joy recalls.
“Dear Mer,” the letter began.
An Update On Abbey
“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 recognized Abbey right away,” Joy read out loud.
“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.”
"Thank You"
"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," the letter continued.
"One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I hope the little book helps. Thank you for the beautiful letter. Thank your mother for sending it. What a wonderful mother you have! I picked her especially for you."
Special Angel
“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.”Joy burst into tears after she finished reading the letter.
But who had sent it?
Not Surprised
Meredith's mother described her daughter's reaction to receiving the package from Heaven.
"She wasn't surprised because she had such faith that her letter was going to get to God," she said in an interview. But her 6-year-old brother "thought it was pretty special his sister got a book from the angel." But who was the "angel" that had shown such kindness to Meredith?
It Was An Angel
“I kind of like not knowing,” Joy said.
“I don’t know who took the time to do it, but it was an angel. We all think about doing these things, but no one takes the time to do it.”
A Beautiful Soul
"As a parent and a pet lover, this is one of the kindest things that I've ever experienced," Joy continued.
"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." Meredith is now 17-years-old and owns two adorable collies.