Au revoir Krum kitty

Krum Kitty – January 1st, 1999 to November 23rd, 2009. We had to put our little Krum to sleep today. We’ll miss you buddy! Sadly, Kate & Jack have had to say good bye to 3 cats and their dog in the last 2 1/2 years (and some goldfish). It is an important part of life, I realize, but it has been very difficult on all of us.
the following is from a photo caption of Krum:
“Krum yawns, completely unaffected by his colorful journey. The sole survivor of a long-since-born frigid New Years’ day litter, let me tell you sometime about Krum’s fall to gamma-cat status, sad banishment, bloody attack on the un-cat man, terrific rescue by the un-dog man, re-abandonment, triumphant return, temporary ascension to alpha-cat royalty, and finally… giving up the seat once more.”

Good Bye our friend - See accompanying post

“I Have a Cat” – From Dad’s Writings

I have a cat – the name’s S.A.L., or “Sally” (a male) – S.A.L., for “Sweetness And Light” (for moral integrity and “the prevailing” intellectual power – prevailing name – because he has none and certainly isn’t). Gotta find another name for the cat. Maybe Elmer Gantry. He’s a sly devil – even conning me sometimes into thinking that he’s a lot smarter than I know he is. He’s of the age to begin loading and toting those ponderous bags of wild oats and is working out and getting in shape to portray the fierce warrior-harem warden he visualizes himself to be. If persistance in delusion is a virtue, he will survive. Invariably, each morning of his return – he sports new evidence of gutsy determination – the mouse on the left eye, the mouse on the right eye, missing feathers, the clean-shaven tail (God, who knows?), the split lip, missing hunks of triceps, the Capone nose – freshly adew…. the thoughtlessly sliced Pinocchio, and the truly and always enigmatic tire track straight down his back – Pinocchio to past tense. A friend of a friend told me he was a nice cat. I told her how he kicked a mugger’s ass. She wanted to know if he got around okay. I told her how he patrols the yard and warns me when the neighborhood winds are on a rampage. She asked why he had a wooden leg. She wasn’t impressed when I showed her the portrait he had done of and for me. “Yes, but why does he have a wooden leg?” I told her how he had saved a life by snatching a climbing child from a beanstalk. She got ugly and demanded to know why he had a wooden leg. So, I told her. – “If you had this cat – of obvious courage, rigid loyalty, and unsurpassed intellect – you wouldn’t eat him all at once either.” Did I really do that? I guess it just kinda sneaked in there. Anyway, we have an understanding. He’s ok – I’m ok… everything’s ok – if he doesn’t piss on me or “mine”, I don’t rain on his parade. That’s the long short course on my cat. Gees – what a cat!

From page 2, section 2 of dad’s letter. This section dated July 1st, 1989.

~ Michael

Dear Matthew

You’re certainly not afraid now, my friend, and I now know that His currents steered you away from fear, away from pain, and fully into the warmth of His Son-shine. 

I’d like you to know that I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you in all ways a best friend should be, and I hope you’ll  forgive me.

I miss you dear friend, so perhaps you can drop me a line, only so I can see your smile.

God bless you Matthew – I love you so much.

Eternally your friend,

Michael

You

I crave –

to be righted,

to be lighted.

I desire –

to feel the safety of Your love,

to be warmed from You above.

I am –

sometimes weak, sometimes strong,

often struggling to belong.

Now I know that all along –

YOU –

You have been with me,

and You surround me,

and now I feel you all around me.

Finally, I know now that

You are in me.

    ~ Thank you God

MMG 04/07/09

Light Me

God – I’d like to ask if you know,

why my growth seems so slow?

Am I in your sight?

Why God, do I feel so slight?

Where is my path?

What’s the deal?

Could you brighten my road

to help me feel real?

           ~ Thank you God.

MMG 04/08/09

Today was Wednesday, not Winsday, so… Whensday?

God,

Wednesday is passing away now. 65 minutes remain. I’ve been told that it is important to live each and every day. I believe that axiom. I am certain that by “living”, it is not meant to merely exist, but to thrive, and to do my best, and hopefully to enjoy. Well, I believe I’ve failed you Wednesday. Wednesday, I couldn’t seem to remove myself from the stickum of my funk. So, I stayed stuck in the junk as you rightfully passed me by. With loss there is hope, and I hope that tomorrow will be “Winsday”, a day where I can remove myself from myself and simply be. Just be, me. I deperately need a victory, a win.  I’d like tomorrow to be “Winsday”, a group of hours where laughter may reign, or the quiet purity of worry-free anxiousness may prevail. Accomplishments and itineraries won’t matter when I’m set free. Tomorrow. If I do not give it all to God tomorrow, then I’ll just keep asking myself “Whensday”? When will it be that I can just be… me?

Goodbye Wednesday. Here’s the deal God… no more attempts to control, no more emotions to stockpile, and no more putting me first. Tomorrow, my sovereign Father, I’m givin’ it all up. I’m givin’ all of me to you. It’s gonna be so amazingly lovely when I’m set free. Gracefully me!

Thank you God.