This morning, at our little Post Office, my P.O. Box was filled with envelopes from all over the country.

Just a few days ago, after Gus died, I wrote about grieving, and I wrote that if anyone wished to honor Gus – he was not just our dog, he was a lot of people’s dog – I would be grateful if rather than flowers they would send a small contribution to my Post Office Box, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, every penny would go towards helping the RISSE refugee children and the Mansion residents.

What a way, I thought, to turn this loss to good. So many people loved Gus, I thought it would be appropriate to give them a chance to honor him.

Some people are self-conscious about sending small donations, but I said small donations would be honored, and they are.

The first letters today came in from Tempe, Arizona, Maineville, Ohio,, Bend, Oregon, Perry, Michigan, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Long Valley, N.J., Livingston, N.J., Denver, Colorado, Fresno, California, Great Creek, South Dakota, Lexington, Kentucky, Alexandria, Va., Bradenton, Florida and a dozen other places.

The blog is my mother, I think, she is everywhere.

C.K. put $8 in envelope, a five dollar bill and three one dollars bills, old and rumpled, and she apologized for the small amount (there is no need for that, her honoring of Gus was substantial in my mind.) “He was a valiant little guy,” she wrote.

There were a couple of big donations also, Kathleen sent a check for $500 so that the Mansion residents could take their boat ride on Lake George when the weather warms up. Kimberly from Ohio sent a small and much appreciated gift – a $10 bill – in “memory of your sweet Little Man…Thank you for your patience trying to do the best by him. He was a very lucky boy.”

I am lucky to have readers like you Kimberly, and thanks.

These messages were inspiring to me, and healing too. Every time I read one of these letters and took out those crumpled and precious bills – they are very touching – I felt better, lighter, especially when I thought that Gus’s death will mean some people will get the shoes they need, take a few outings they need.

I think of the many people who still love letters, and sit at their kitchen tables, and wrote those sweet messages and take out a few needed dollars, and get out their stamps, and walk to the post office. Wow.

Last week, one of the RISSE refugee families lost a mother, granddaughter and child in a fire in nearby Renssellaer, New York. I hope to send them some of the donations.

Thanks for much for honoring Gus in this week. It means a great deal to us, turning his death into something that will help a lot of people. The small donations are very powerful and affirming, I can’t thank you enough for them.

For those of you who missed the original post, I wrote last week that we would prefer Gus be  honored with donations for the refugees and Mansion residents, those donations can be sent to me, c/o P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y. 12816.

I see Gus was a gift that keeps on giving, farm beyond me and Maria. Thanks.