Can I tell you a story about this sprightly black cat? I found her running across four lanes of Chicago traffic one cold November night twelve years ago. She was seven weeks old, and got separated from her mom as they both darted across the street. The baby cat took refuge under the running parked car of a delivery driver, who patiently waited for her to finally dash out. A bystander chased after her and, by some miracle, managed to catch her before she ran back into traffic. We couldn't find the mama cat anywhere, and I couldn't stand the idea of turning her loose.
My husband and I already had two cats in our small Chicago condo, but I ended up with her, bundling her in my coat so she couldn't claw at me during our taxi ride home. I stayed up all night with her as she cried and cried for her mama, and I cried and cried, too, feeling like a catnapper even though I knew she was better off inside than out on the street. The two of us spent three full days and nights sequestered in the spare bedroom while I tried to earn her trust. Nothing I offered won her over, until I dangled a string in front of her. Bingo! This was a kitten who LOVED to play. On day four, I won her over, and little Coco has been my true baby ever since.
Four years later, when I had my twins, she was right there to welcome her new siblings. Tonight as I worked on this email, my little girl (who, along with her brother, turns eight this week!) looked at this picture of Coco with them and said, "Look, there's all three of your babies!" She's so right. Which is why I'm sharing this to ask for any prayers and good thoughts you could send to my little cat, who was diagnosed with kidney disease earlier this month. She's struggling to eat and drink enough, but she still sleeps under the covers beside me every night and somehow finds the energy to play.
In Chicago, she loved curling up by this pillow I used to have, which read, "Let Us Lay in the Sun and Count Every Beautiful Thing We Can See." It's a phrase that reminds me to slow down and be grateful, and I've been doing a lot of that with my Coco these past few weeks. Every snuggle she gives me is a tangible reminder of the trust she placed in me, and I'll always be thankful she found me worthy. ♡
