My name is Francis, and yes, I was named for the Patron Saint of Animals. It's been a long time since I came to Rainbow Bridge, my 2feet mom is still on Earth waiting for her call to Heaven. It sometimes feels like she'll never arrive! But of course we won't cross the Bridge without her. My brothers and sisters who lived with her are here too, Seisha and Blackfoot and Kelvren and Thunder and Philip (and his favorite horse Captain)and all the others, but we miss her and now that her human mom and all her fur babies have crossed over, it's not the same. At least that's what we thought until St. Francis himself came to visit.

Angels and saints and the human moms and dads who knew us but have already crossed over come and play with us, when we feel lonely. Our human mom's mother loved us too, and she comes to play and bring us presents and visit. The angels line up on the Rainbow and sing for us, and make colorful and bright pictures in the clouds and in the meadows. Some of the saints bring toys or treats and tell wonderful stories of their animal friends (and sometimes funny tales about their human friends too)! St. Francis himself will come and sit by the Bridge and practice his sermons to those he calls "Feathered Jewels" "Children of the East Wind" and "Friendly Wolves" and "Caressable Tigers" (like me). Sometimes the kittens and puppies chase butterflies and little angels all over the place, and it's so funny even St. Francis will laugh!

We look forward to these visits. They help make the wait for our own friends so much easier, and remind us that we will join them and their fur and feather and fin and scale friends when our 2feet mom gets here. Their visits are a gift from the One who created us, as a reminder of how much we are loved and cherished. The One won't tell us when our 2feet mom will come to meet us, but we know we will all be together on that day when we cross the Rainbow Bridge.