The Community of GOD (or spell it backwards if you must).

Do not read this if you are not a dog lover. You will be bored out of your mind, and you will think I'm out of mine.

Sometimes we do things that seem so stupid to others. A waste of time. Or important things to you become habits. Like brushing your teeth, pouring your coffee (or so they say, I've never had a cup), or tying your shoes.

And emailing dogs.

Lucky's been doing it for several months now, after he joined Doggyspace. He has special friends like Jack-Jack, Sandy, 12, Chappy & Whiskey, Kane, and Sierra, just to name a few. There are even friends like Moses who are already at the Rainbow Bridge and tell him how wonderful it is there, how he will run like a puppy again when he gets there. They are doggie bloggers. They are not people. They type and they send (virtual) gifts like bones and frisbees and basketballs, and they have favorite sports teams like the Cubs, the Michigan State Spartans, and the Arizona Cardinals.

So when Lucky responds to these emails, it is not me.

It is Lucky. And he so dearly loves our new friends.

I know they are real dogs and not blogging people. They talk about their "furiends" and their "pawrents" and pray with "paws together." They send quick messages like "OMD" and "BOL" and even "ROFBOL." They tell you what a "pawsome" friend you are and mail you bandannas purchased from non-profit organizations that care for hungry, hurt puppies. Someone is always there to give you a "Paws Up."

These dogs have been raised by loving pawrents parents, so they have learned well. They have Doggy Prayer Chains, Secret Paws, and a Cheer Up Campaign headed by Gizmo, which is much like my Bible study group at church. They know when Lucky needs some cheering up, and the emails just keep coming. And then Hans at the Bridge or Moses shows up with encouragement like "keeping my angel wings around you" and you know that yes, everything will be ok in the end.

They ask "can you ask your mom to send me the recipe for your soup?" and "are you snuggling with your mom and dad tonight?" And when he has "accidents," they tell him how much his pawrents love him anyway and not to feel bad. They even send tips on how he can clean the inside of my computer screen, just in case he gets too much pupkiss on it.

They even have their own private jokes, like The Community Service Haircut or The World's Smartest Dog.

Lucky always responds from his heart. When he's sad, it shows. When he's peaceful, it shows. When he's restless, it shows. He wears his heart (and mine) on his paw.

And as he's dying and moving closer to the Rainbow Bridge, well, that shows, too.

When Lucky gets on this computer, it means he needs his friends, and he's in the zone. So don't you dare bother him, or for heaven's Bridge's sake, change your password without telling him. He'll give you the stink-eye, for sure.

Doggyspace isn't addicting, but getting into the heart of my dog in his final days sure is.

Note to Lucky: please drink some water tonight. Please? It's been 3 days and you are very dehydrated. Moses and Hans say you're not quite ready to visit them yet.