“You can have him,” mom said, “if you can catch him!” Through bushes, bees, in and out of endless fox holes and passages, I went day after day, my time blissfully spent in pursuit of the emaciated, unkempt feral black stray cat, that my mom finally agreed to let me ‘have’. She hugged me, she hugged ‘Midnight’ and welcomed him into our home. My first animal angel, my own!

One unfortunate day, the back door was left open and off he went. In panic, I prayed, I cried and sat so still. I was emotionally paralyzed. We had become each others best friend, and he was all that I had outside my lovely family, each living their own lives, walking their own paths, as we came here to do! I walked in silence, so sad, hope flickering still in my heart, down the alley. “Midnight, oh my gosh, come home!” I said out loud. He sat hidden in the bush. I prayed and from my heart spoke to my best friend and simply proclaimed just how much I loved him and asked him to follow me home, knowing my approach would only startle him and force him to retreat! Filled with hope, a knowing, I strolled home, he followed and I sang! He heard me!!! We sat, talked and I once again asked of him to jump the chain-link fence — for on the other side of it was his home, me and my heart with unlimited unconditional love for him. With trepidation and conviction he jumped the fence, he came home. Never to leave our home again for many years to come! We continued to talk and learn about each other, care for each other and created an everlasting magical bond that can and never will be broken!

Animals do hear, animals do teach! Animals are our heart! I was lucky enough to have listened!

– Dr. Nancy Keller