A kitten named Spot

On this day, walking along the river had an almost magical quality. The sky was pink with the early morning sun. I had to stop twice to admire the scenes before me. Standing quietly on the bridge over the river, I could see the snow-covered trees standing guard over the wildlife beneath me. I stood for a moment breathing in the cool clear air. A soaring eagle broke the silence as she soared down the river corridor bringing a sense of peace that could only come from God. As I watched, I thought about the wonderful blessings bestowed upon me throughout this year. My favorite moment filled with bittersweet struggle stands out among all the other moments.

Some time ago, I had fought with the demise of my marriage. My children and I were struggling and sad as we were forced to begin a new life. My seven-year-old daughter was hit especially hard by all of the changes. She would never speak about the pain she was holding deep inside her. I knew that she needed an outlet, something that could be hers alone, and something that she could confide her fears and secrets to.

Maybe a kitten, I remember thinking to myself. Therefore, a small calico kitten made its way into our family. My daughter wanted to name her Princess, but my son kept calling her Spot because of the black circle around her left eye. As moving day came I was reminded by the landlord that cats were not allowed in the house that I had rented. I could not take this kitten away from my tiny daughter so I decided to not mention it. Yes, I know it was a fib but one that was drawn from necessity.

Every day the kitten named Spot lived outside, but at night she would climb up the tree in the front of the house, scratch on the window, and my son would let her in. She would immediately run to my daughter’s room where she would cozy up for the night. Spot stayed with my daughter through those difficult and painful days of my divorce, living her secret life while helping my child through the trauma that surrounded her.

The years passed and it was time for our little family to move once more. I bought a new house and was busy packing for moving day. The night before our final move Spot did not appear at her place in the window. My daughter and son waited for her, but nothing.

“How will she find us?” was the question.

Fearing the worse, I remember telling my daughter that you can never really own a cat— that sometimes cats leave on their own, looking to go to the people who need them most.

Still, I did try to find her. I posted notices  and asked neighbors to catch her if they saw her.

Weeks went by and there was nothing. My daughter knew that Spot must be with someone else who needed her and seemed to be okay with that. With Spot’s job done at my home, I took a moment and thanked God for my small spotted miracle. I knew in my heart that this cat really was a Princess and hoped that she had found someone else to love.

Several years had passed and Spot was a happy, yet distant, memory. Her ornament still dangles on our Christmas tree.

That was until a few months ago.

I went to take a listing on a house. I was tired that day and was not really expecting what I found. There, on the doorstep, sat a big old calico cat, with an unmistakable black circle around her left eye. I stood there in amazement, wondering if by chance this was our long-lost pet. The owner of the house welcomed me in. I asked her about her cat.

“Oh that’s Princess,” she said in a contented voice.

I said that she looked like my daughter’s cat. She then told me how Princess made her way into her home.

It seems that no one in her family cared much for cats. Her young daughter, who was seven at the time, really wanted a kitten all her own, but to no avail. Then one day, her beloved grandfather died unexpectedly.

The child was devastated at the loss. She cried all night and prayed that her grandpa would send her a kitten to love when she missed him. That very night Spot appeared at her bedroom window, just as she did for another seven-year-old years earlier. When the little girl saw her, she opened her window and let the cat into her life. She was sure that her grandpa had sent this kitten to her.

Her mother and father couldn’t argue since she appeared during the night at a time that their little girl needed her. So now Princess is treated like royalty since she made her way into the sad heart of another little girl and helped her through a very difficult time in her young life.

There was no mistaking that Spot was truly a princess in the eyes of two moms. What greater way to reflect on a year than with the unconditional love from a kitten named Spot?