| About twenty years ago, I was part of CATSS (Community Action To Save Strays), a local catch-neuter-release program in the small town I was living in. CATSS would sometimes get called when a box of kittens was dumped in someone’s driveway. We would take in the newborn kittens, bottle feed them, and try to find them homes when they were old enough. At one time my partner and I had more than a dozen cats and kittens in our home…which wasn’t sustainable. And with two small children in the house and two cat-loving adults, we sometimes fell in love with the kittens and kept them…which wasn’t sustainable either. This is how I got Ruby and Alice. When I divorced from my partner and moved out, we divided the furniture—and the cats. Ruby and Alice came with me to my new home. They moved with me three years later when I moved in with my new partner Mary…then they moved again a year after that, when Mary and I came to Michigan. Alice disappeared a few months ago and never came back. Sometimes that’s how our relationship with a cat ends. They disappear. Ruby died this week, and her end was more definite. After she didn’t show up for two meals in a row, I searched the house and finally found her under the couch. This was one of her secret sleeping places, except this time she never woke up. Sometimes that’s how our relationship with a cat ends. The cat’s time comes, the cat goes and lies down to die. Ruby was a good cat and a loving companion to me for 19 years. Her death is a reminder that grief is the price we pay for love.
Rev. Andrew Frantz |
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Glenn Lewandos
2/20/2021 10:56:07 am
Although about cats, you have told a very human story. And a beautiful prayer. Comments are closed.
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Rev. Andrew FrantzUUFCM Minister Office hours:
Drew's office hours are suspended until further notice. However, he is reachable at any time via email, phone, or text. Day off: Monday minister@uufcm.org Phone/text: 440-935-0129 Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life's challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him. For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Arms Around team via Gisela Moffit at gbmoffit@gmail.com or 989-772-1602. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance. Archives
February 2023
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