Posted by Liz and the CC Apr-18-00, 10:23 PM (PDT)
"I wrote this for Nancy...msg"The Cat Herder
There's a place I go, a haven from the harsh reality of life. A place where I have friends that respect each other and can understand those strange things that flow through my brain.
There are people in this place, and glowing, furry beings we all love who bring us all together in a way that defies description. Those small feline beings that help us show our love
for all beings.In this haven was a kind soul, a woman who gave to others without reserve. This woman was a protector of small children in need and a champion for all those small lost feline beings who had no one else.
But today reality intruded. The specter of the dark showed it's face. The hand of fate, always present, always ready to glean Took away that woman, protector of small lost cats and children.
But I will not grieve. There is always a reason things happen. In this case heaven needed a guardian for The Bridge of Light. Our sweet loved one will stand guard and be The Cat Herder of Heaven.
Posted by Cindy on April 20, 2000 at 18:08:06:
They all gathered around, man and beast, to share stories about the Angel on earth. This wonderful creature who had touched each and every one of them in a very special way. This is what brought them here on this night for an important reason.When the children were seated on the soft, warm grass, their arms wrapped around purring cats, and the adults were seated comfortably under the shade of the weeping willows with furry dogs at their feet, a little brown and white cat stood shyly before them.
“I used to live with this Angel,” he said with a purr in his voice. “She gave me a second chance at life when I was a kitten, and took my sister and me into her home. She made a warm, soft bed for us and fed our empty bellies with delicious food. She spoke gently to us and sang us silly little songs. She played with us and bought us toys. She gave us something we’d never had before... love.
“Every morning the Angel would wake up very early to go to work in the city. She would travel in all kinds of weather to get there, and always with a smile on her face. She would have to work during the weekends, she would have to go out of town, she would work into the late hours of the night. But always, tired and worn, my Angel would always come home. I would run to meet her with kisses and purrs. She was home!”
The little cat closed his eyes and smiled, remembering when he lived in this house like it was yesterday. Then, he got up and walked slowly to the end of a grassy, sunny trail and lay there with that same smile on his little whiskered mouth.
A little boy, about five or six years old, stood and walked to where the cat had told his story. The boy had shiny blue eyes and a full head of thick blond hair. His dimpled, chubby cheeks bordered the kind of smile that would warm anyone’s heart.
“I only knew the Angel for a little while, but still, I love her,” he said in an amazingly mature voice.
“It was when I was at the hospital that she floated into my life. Mommy and Daddy could not always be there and sometimes it was very scary and lonely. She came into my room one day with that smile of hers. I could not help but smile, through my tears and pain, right back.
“She began to visit me every day, reading me stories and telling me about when she was little. She was such a good story teller, I felt like I was right there with her, when she was a little girl, visiting all the places she’d been.
“When I lost my hair, she brought me my magic baseball hat. She helped me give silly names to all of my icky medicine, which made them not so hard to take. She would stop by to see me at least once a day, even if it was just to say hello and to give me that smile. “The most amazing thing about the Angel is that she did this for all the children at the hospital. She did everything she could to make them be not so scared. To make them smile. She would go out of her way to find things they might enjoy. An old painting of kittens for her office to ease the tension of worried families. A joke for a little boy who had a rough day of treatment. A story of a miracle kitty for a little girl whose future was uncertain. Appointments, meetings, organizing, moving.
“The days were full of things that just had to get done. It was hard and draining but always, a smile remained on her face,” the little boy said as he sat down again.
The cat spoke from his spot on the trail, purring a little louder now. “And she always came home.”
A gentleman holding an old gray cat stood now before the group, each one still anxious to share their story. He could not believe how many sat before him. How many creatures one Angel could have such an affect on.
“The Angel came into my daughter’s life when she was still very hurt from losing a parent very suddenly. She was beginning to forget the meaning of the word love and jumped into a painful relationship and lost many friends before she began the long road to healing. The Angel began to write to my daughter almost every day. The most magical letters, full of love and warmth.
“The Angel reminded my daughter that happiness comes from within. Across the miles, the Angel’s love warmed my daughter’s heart. They shared stories, dreams and ambitions. They compared their beliefs, and had so much in common it brought even more comfort to her wounded heart.
“Hugs ended every letter with a reminder of the loving friendship they shared. My daughter took her advice to ease her pains with a bubble bath, a good book or a heart warming movie. These simple things made everything a little brighter, but what really made her feel that things could be right again were the letters and notes from the Angel. This magical being that she would never meet face to face.”
The gentleman sat down again with the gray cat smiling up at him from his lap, nodding her old, soft head.
The little brown and white cat looked up the trail and began kneading the ground. “She took time out for so many, but she always came home to me,” he said.
A tabby cat rose from a pile of twigs and soft feathers, and began to walk slowly to the front of the group when suddenly there was a noise. The group heard a rumble of thunder as the Earth cried her loss of an Angel. Things would never be the same there again.
But the little brown and white cat stood suddenly and looked down the path toward the bridge over the babbling brook. The bridge which shone in purple, red, blue, yellow, orange and green. He looked back at the group before dashing down the path toward a beautiful, glowing heavenly creature.
“She’s come home!” he exclaimed.
This was read at Nancy's Memorial Service.Written by Betsy(Cody's person).
I wish that I could be with you today to speak these words but I know that Nancy knows and understands why I cannot.I may not be physically with all of you , but you can be sure that my heart is.I thought I would tell you a few things that you may not have known about Nancy. Nancy was very active in animal rights and welfare. She did many charitable acts on behalf of animals that she never spoke of. Most of all, Nancy gave of her heart. She was an active and loyal friend of The Doris Day Animal Foundation which is why I have set up a memorial for her with the Foundation, here in Carmel California. Nancy touched my heart when she told me that a child she was working with was incredibly moved by the story of my kitten with special needs,whose name is Cody. You see, Nancy followed my Cody's story of his tragedies and triumphs. She was my support through every milestone. She used to talk to Cody on the phone and tell him how much she loved him and believed in his ability to send his courage and love across the world. The child became known as "Cody's Little Girl" to thousands of people. Today, Cody and "His Little Girl" maintain a bond that defies human description.Nancy sent drawings and notes to Cody from his Little Girl and Cody, of course, sends huge boxes of presents and notes and pictures to her. That is the same way I would describe my friendship and love for Nancy, it defies human description .Nancy and I used to visit an internet website where Pets talk to Pets...in pet language. Nancy posted as "Lily", her beloved cat and I posted as "Cody". But at the most inopportune times, when we were dealing with people in our daily life, we would mistakenly speak in "pet talk"...this would convulse us in laughter. She told me that she often, unknowingly, signed her interoffice memos "Lily" or would be in a meeting and say something that was clearly pet talk. She would get the giggles over this and have to leave the meeting.Then she would go to her office, call me and say, " I just know I'm going to get fired one of these days for this" and she would dissolve into giggles. Nancy never went more than two days without talking to me on the phone. She would say, "I can only talk for a minute" but the minute was always at least an hour. The best hours of my life. I have had many friends in my life but she was the only one who gave her whole heart. She never ended a letter or phone call to me without saying " I love you so very much". I have learned that it is so important to let the special people in our lives know that we love them .I am grateful that I always told her how I felt. I treasure the many memories of laughter, of tears, and of joy. Nancy's voice is now silent but if you listen very carefully she can still be heard. She can be heard in the wind, seen in the sunlight, and felt in your hearts. Her vision will move us forward to do only good things for all animals and children. Personally, I will make sure that her charitable causes become a permanent reality. Some of you have already offered to help me with this and I am indebted to you. I miss her, I grieve, but I know that although her earthly job is done, Nancy has left me with the greatest gift that can be given....her legacy of love. I extend my deepest sympathy and love to her family, her friends and her co-workers...through Nancy, I have come to know you and I am most grateful for that. I love you Nancy...but, of course, you know that.
In Memory of Nancy B.
Shadow's Memorial to Nancy B.
Marion's Memorial to Nancy B.
