Friends And Heaven

[RGRWJB]

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the

scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

 

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for

years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

 

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the

road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken

by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

 

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that

looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked

like pure gold. He and his dog walked toward the gate, and as he got

closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

 

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"? "This

is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

 

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

 

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right

up."

 

The man gestured, and the gate began to open.? "Can my friend," gesturing

toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.

 

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

 

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and

continued the way he had been going with his dog.

 

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a

dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been

closed. There was no fence.? As he approached the gate, he saw a man

inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

 

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

 

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

 

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

 

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

 

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned

hand pump with a bowl beside it.

 

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he

gave some to his dog.

 

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was

standing by the tree "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

 

"This is Heaven," he answered.

 

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said

that was Heaven, too."

 

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope.

That's hell."

 

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

 

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their

best friends behind."

 

So sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without

writing a word.

 

Maybe this will explain.

 

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you

do? You forward jokes.

 

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward

jokes.

 

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how,

you forward jokes.

 

Also to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still

important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you

get?? A forwarded joke or two.

 

So, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been sent just

another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your

friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

 

You are all welcome @ my water bowl anytime.

 

[TwistJG26]

Nice one

[ShooterTom]

Pretty good.

 

 

Tom