After Moe the beagle died, Mary Architzel Westbrook and her 3-year-old son Luke began a ritual to honor their beloved pet.

The pair would sit at the kitchen table and write letters to Moe. Carrying the ritual out as much as possible, Westbrook would dutifully address the letters to “Moe Westbrook, Doggie Heaven, Cloud 1.”

The mother and son would then walk to the mailbox and deposit the letters. Usually, Westbrook would retrieve the letters from the mailbox before the postal worker could pick them up.

But one day she forgot.

When checking the mail one morning, Westbrook found an unstamped note in their mailbox. The return address read: “From Moe.”

The printed letter was four lines long and read:

“I’m in doggie heaven. I play all day, I am happy. Thank you 4 being my friend. I wuv you Luke.”

Westbrook said the kindness of the postal worker “gutted her” and reminded her of the goodness of people.

She planned on giving the special note to her son that night.

Keep Reading

Foo Fighters closed out Shaky Knees 2024 at Central Park with extended versions of their biggest hits. The indie rock festival has moved to Piedmont Park for this weekend's event. (Ryan Fleisher for the AJC)

Credit: Ryan Fleisher

Featured

In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com