When Abbey, the beloved 14-year-old dog of the Scrivener family died, one little girl's grief was eased in the most touching of fashions.
小女孩梅爾迪斯·斯克裡夫納因家中14歲愛犬艾比過世傷心不已，但她卻被一種極其令人感動的方式治癒了。
Telling her parents that she wanted to write a letter to God, four-year-old Meredith dictated a note to her mother and together they traveled down to their post office in Brook Hollow, Texas to post it.
4歲的小梅爾迪斯告訴父母想要給上帝寫一封信，她讓媽媽代筆幫她寫好了信，並一起到德州布魯克合露的郵局把信寄了出去。
Two weeks later to their amazement, the family returned home to find a package wrapped in gold on their front porch addressed to 'Mer' and signed 'God, and one of his special angels.'
然而兩周後當一家人回到家時，卻驚奇地在屋子前廊發現了一隻寄給「小梅爾迪斯」的金色包裹，而寄信人的署名竟然是「上帝和他的一位特別的天使」。
Inside the mysterious package was a book titled 'When a Pet Dies' by Fred Rogers and note, clearly sent in reply to the little girl's plea to God to 'please take care of my dog'
在這隻神秘的包裹裡放著弗萊德·羅傑斯寫的一本書《當寵物去世時》和一張便籤，一眼就能看出是對小女孩向上帝提出的「照顧我的小狗」的請求的回信。
Parents Joy and Greg were stunned as well as touched that someone at their post office would go through so much trouble to help their little girl.
小女孩的父母喬和格雷格驚訝之餘也十分感動，他們沒想到郵局的工作人員會這麼用心地來幫助他們的女兒。
Meredith, however, was less than surprised by the special delivery, according to her mom.
喬說，不過小梅爾迪斯對這封特殊的回信並沒感到多麼驚訝。
'When she received the package, she was happy, but she wasn't surprised,' she said. 'There was no doubt in Meredith's mind that her letter was going to heaven.'
「收到包裹後她很開心，卻不是很驚訝，」她說，「毫無疑問，梅爾迪斯覺得她的那封信肯定是寄到了天堂。」
Meredith is said to have recovered from her heart-breaking loss, and to have since welcomed the addition of a collie and terrier into their household.
據說小梅爾迪斯已經從失去愛犬的痛苦中恢復了，而且在那之後，她們家又養了一條柯利犬和一條小獵犬。
'She's doing great,' Mrs Scrivener told My San Antonio in 2010. 'She still has a big heart for animals.'
她的母親喬在2010年接受My San Antonio的採訪時說，「她過得很好，仍然十分喜歡動物。」
MEREDITH'S LETTER TO HEAVEN AND THE HEARTWARMING REPLY
小梅爾迪斯寄往天堂的信和收到的溫馨回信
Dear God,
親愛的上帝：
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
您可不可以照顧一下我的小狗呢?她昨天剛剛去世，現在到了天堂，跟您在一起。我很想念她。雖然她生病了，但我很高興您讓她來到了我的身邊。
I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her, you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
我希望您可以陪她玩。她喜歡玩球和遊泳。我在信裡給您寄了一幅她的照片，這樣您看到她的時候，就知道她是我的小狗了。我是真的很想念她。
Dear Meredith,
親愛的梅爾迪斯：
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
艾比已經安全到達了天堂。你給我寄的照片真的幫了大忙。我一下子就認出了艾比。
Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.
艾比現在病好了。它的靈魂與我同在，也與你的心同在。艾比很喜歡你做她的主人。我們在天堂並不需要軀體，所以我沒有口袋裝你的照片，我只好把照片放在這本給你的書裡寄回來，交給你保管，這樣你也可以有個東西來懷念艾比。
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
謝謝你美麗的來信，也很感謝你的媽媽幫你寫下這封信並寄給我。你的媽媽真好。她可是我為你精心挑選的。我每天都會給你送上祝福，請記住，我非常愛你。
By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.
對了，找我很簡單，只要有愛的地方就有我。
Love,
God
愛你的上帝
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（編輯：何瑩瑩）