OUR LUCKY

This Travel Bug represents Lucky’s Trust and Love.
Take it everywhere and please never loose it.

I saw him laying in the yard and his eyes told me he just wanted a “safe” place to die. He was in bad shape. Skinned, stabbed, shot recently, with other old, well healed injuries. Front leg broken in 3 places; broken tail, one shoulder completely caved in. A tumor on his ear the size of a mini-cauliflower. I tried to pet him but he scampered off as fast as he could and I let him go. Two days later, I saw him in the front yard. I offered him some food and he accepted. The next day, he was waiting for the food and he climbed up on my lap as if to say “thank you” or “I need a place to rest and I can trust you”. I started putting medicine in his wet food and he got better – except for the huge tumor on his ear.
We went to the vet and had the tumor removed. It was cancer but the vet had high hopes he’d beat it. So did we. In the meantime, he could not stay outside….he was so dirty and smelly though, that my husband said: “You aren’t really bringing THAT cat in, are you?”
We did and therein begins a story of love and courage to match any….he was an old cat – probably 12 or so. He’d been neutered by someone else, sometime in his life. He had manners. He got along with the other cats. He knew about being loved and giving love. Oh, did he know. It was like he’d always been here; always been part of the family…and would always be here. When he’d healed from the surgery, his coat all shiny, his eyes bright and smelling only like kitty love, my husband said, “You aren’t going to put THAT cat outside again, are you?” No. Not ever. For six months we loved him like there was no tomorrow and for six months, he rewarded us every day….each morning, he’d do a “happy dance” upon awakening. Jump high in the air and spin around, meowing his happiest meow as if to say, “I’m home! They love me! I love them!” He’d climb up on our laps and wrap himself around our legs – or sit on our chest with his paws on our necks – looking into our soul with his eyes; never asking anything – always, but always trusting and giving of himself completely.

And then came the day when the vet said “it’s back”….the cancer. We were going to lose him. Every moment became a gift and neither of us wanted to be away from him. Too soon, it was time to let him go and it was the hardest thing I think we’d ever done. We held him as he left our world and the last thing he ever heard was me telling him to hurry towards the light and take all our love with him. And he did. I know he did.

We named him Lucky because I thought he must have been the luckiest cat in the world to end up in our yard….now I know though, the luck was all ours – to have known him; to have loved him, even for such a short time….he was like a little angel here on Earth. One day he outgrew the angel suit and had to fly away.

Those we love are with the Lord. If they are with Him and He is with us, they cannot be far away.

Our Lucky, I’m sure, is sitting on God’s lap now, whole again, forever safe and eternally loved.

I trust his Eternity will be what his life here should have been.

We love you Lucky. Forever and ever.