To find more short stories like this one, check out the eighty fables and parables found in Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children. Get your copy here.
A boy had a dog that was getting pretty old. He and his dog used to run through the fields together behind their house, but now the dog was slow to follow and limped when he walked.
So the boy would play games with him that didn’t require a lot of running and jumping. He loved that dog so much.
The boy’s parents were very worried. They knew that the dog could die any day now. They were afraid that it would devastate the boy.
After dinner one day, they sat him down to tell him that the dog was close to death. They told him how very sad this made them and that it was okay for him to be sad, too.
The boy looked at them, confused. “I know that,” he said. “Mom and Dad, it’s okay for you to be sad. It makes me sad, too, but I’m going to make the most of this time with him while I can. We’re having more fun now than we ever did when he was a young dog. Let’s go and enjoy him, okay?”
This really comforted the parents. Their son was right. They were so worried about their dog dying that they didn’t enjoy the time they had with him while he was still living.
The dog lived for a few more weeks, and the whole family loved every minute of their time with him.
When he passed away, all of them were in tears, but they were comforted by the many great memories they had shared with him, right up to the last moment.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
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