A Boy And His Arrow

How do you fill a heart broken from loss. In this case we filled it with a soft, little black kitty. His name is Arrow.

My son's devastation from the loss of our cat Tupelo, was more than he could bare. The emptiness in my own heart was so heavy, I could no longer be without a cat. To me, and now I know, my son too, a home with out a cat, is a home without a soul.

I was deeply touched that Patrick had become so attached to Tupelo. She was already 4 and half years old when he was born. By the time he was old enough to pay any attention to her she was a senior citizen. Then she got sick and lived with kidney disease for several years before she died. She was one of those rare beings that did nothing but love. No mischief, no wrecking the furniture, always using the liter box. When she got to weak to climb into our laps or jump onto the bed, we picked her up. She radiated warmth and giving until the end.

After a week and a half of missing her terribly, we decided to get a new kitty. He had been at the shelter for 2 months. He was brought in as a stray. Patrick was immediately taken by him. That was all I needed to lay down the fee for his up keep and bring him home. I told Patrick that he could pick a name for the new kitty. He thought of several, Duster, Ninja, Jet but, finally settled on Arrow. He said, because when the kitty runs he goes as straight as an arrow. Then, of course, I thought of the song Me And My Arrow.

It has been so long since I had a kitten in the house I forgot somewhat, what to expect. Lots of racing around, day and night. Lots of tipped over waste paper baskets. Tissues shredded and strewn everywhere. Lots of needing to be picked up and loved, lots of lap time, too. All worth it. Arrow has become a member of the family. Patrick has thanked me 20-30 times for getting him a new kitty. I am grateful for getting the new kitty. He has brought soul back to our home. Thank you Arrow.