By

BABY & RUSS GLASS

Hi, my name is Baby. I died. Oh, no, please don't be sad, I was very sick. I feel much better now but my Daddy, my human daddy, is very, very sad. He misses me a lot and thinks about me everyday but cries when he does. That is why I have to tell you what I did, it was way COOL. I am so proud of myself. It was PURRRRFECT!!!

First let me tell you a little about me and my daddy and how we got to be Daddy and Baby Cat. I came to live with my new family in August of 1988. I was so little and so scared, everyone was so BIG. Shannon, Daddy's young daughter, brought me home. I was only 5 weeks old and very small. I was all alone with strange BIG PEOPLE and not with my sisters and brothers.

My new family made a big fuss over me but all I wanted to do was hide anywhere I could. Thankfully they always found me and held me, petted me and cuddled me all the time, which made me feel really special. For the next day or so I looked around and smelled everything to see if I liked my new home. I thought wow a whole house just for me but I was still a little scared and wouldn't eat. This is when Shannon's father and I started to become Daddy and Baby Cat.

Remember, I said everyone was BIG and I was little? Well these big people put these plates of strange food down on the floor and just stood there watching me. I didn't know what to do so I did nothing, yup, nothing, just stood there. Well, that didn't go over to very well with Shannon's dad. He is Italian, everyone eats in his house. I remember there was a lot of talking and hand waving. I didn't know what was going on I was only a baby cat and I didn't understand people talk yet. Shannon's dad started to whip up something in a small bowl. I know it had milk in it and some other stuff too. Then he put it down on the floor just like the rest of the food but then he did something else, he got down on the floor on his belly. This was OK with me now that he was down at my level it made me feel not as small.
What was this big man with whiskers all over his face doing down here? I soon found out.

He stuck his finger into that bowl of milk stuff, I was watching him very closely, and put this big drop of milk right on my nose. Boy was I shocked! What I did next was what any kitten would do, I licked my nose. I don't know what he put in that stuff but it tasted pretty good. Then he did it again, this time I got the idea and drank some out of my bowl, this seemed to make him very happy, me too, now I wasn't so hungry. He watched me lick up the milk and when I was finished he picked me up cuddled me in his arms. He was all warm and talked softly telling me what a good little baby cat I was. Well that did it I was in love with this man who treated me special, just like one of the family.

As the days passed, Daddy's wife Anne (she was to become my Mommy) started to give me all kinds of kitten food and water. I really liked this one kind better than all the rest. Can you guess what it was? It was Tuna fish. Wow was it delicious. She was fun and would laugh and laugh at the silly things I did. I loved her a lot too. As I got bigger I used to get into all sorts of trouble and really liked to scare company when they came to visit. They had this sofa that turned into a bed and I would crawl up inside the back, over the springs and down to where people were sitting then reach out my paw and scratch their butts. Oh what great fun it was to hear them holler and jump up or I would get a running start and jump up on the wall in the doorway with my tail all fluffed out and growl this little kitty growl ( I could get as high as their waist) then run upstairs and listen to what they said. That one really upset the company especially Colleen, she was daddy's sons wife. She would just freak out and say that I was crazy. I also remember mommy had this hanging plant over the sofa. I used to jump and jump trying to get it then one day I did. Boy the dirt was everywhere and I was in trouble again. Daddy would catch me, hold up in the air and yell at me then tell me what a naughty little baby cat I was. This is why I loved him so much, after he was done yelling at me, he would smile, hold me tight and tell me he loved me. He then did something special that he would do for the rest of my life. He would nibble on my ear, not hard, just with his lips and tell me I was his Baby Cat. It felt real nice and I would lick one of his fingers so he knew I liked it. No matter how bad I was or how often I got into trouble Daddy would always tell me that I was his Baby Cat and that he loved me and I always, always had his lap to lie in.

I can't tell you all the things we did or all the stories of fun we had together because I lived a very long time with my Mommy & Daddy. Oh I didn't finish how I stayed with Mommy & Daddy. Alright I'll make it quick. After a few years Shannon met this boy named Jim, they fell in love and got married. When Shannon moved out of the house to start her life with her new husband, Daddy said she could not take me. He said that he loved me too much and that I belonged here with him and mommy. OK was that quick enough? I know I skipped over a lot of stuff but I would need more time to tell you all that happened. I lived with my Mommy and Daddy for 18 years, that's a very long time for a little cat to live. I would be sad if I made this story any longer and I might forget to tell you about the COOLIST thing I ever done. That is why we started this story in the first place.

Remember at the beginning of this story I told you that I died and how very sad my Daddy was. Remember I also told you I did something very cool. Well here is what happened. Maybe Daddy should tell you about this part, he thought it was awesome!!

I was driving to Syracuse, N.Y. on a Wednesday it was the 6th day after
"The Babe" died. I was crying a little, thinking about Babe and how much I missed her. It was still dark out. It was around 6:15 in the morning and the sun was just starting to rise. The sky was very dark with rain clouds (it looked like I was feeling) but there was a small spot of open sky at the horizon. The suns rays were shinning on the underside of those dark clouds making everything have this reddish color. Do you know that old sailors saying about a red sky in the morning sailors take warning? It means that a storm is coming. Well I was feeling really bad anyway and a storm couldn't make me feel any worse. Just then I looked out my window to my left and saw the makings of a rainbow, it had this golden color mixed in with the regular colors of a rainbow, but it wasn't very bright. As I was thinking about "The Babe", I asked out loud, Babe did you send me this rainbow to make me feel better? Just then it got brighter and more colorful. I couldn't believe my eyes. Was this really happening! I said, still talking out loud, Babe are you telling me you made it to Heaven? What took you so long? Just then the rainbow got brighter yet and a second one appeared above it but not as bright. I asked is that God with you and it got brighter still. I almost ran off the road. I was crying so hard I could hardly breathe. I was also feeling happiness inside that my Baby Cat made it to Heaven and was telling me she was OK. Still not quite believing this is truly happening. I asked, Babe is this really you and did you do this to tell me how much you love me? You're not going to believe this. I know you're not. I could hardly believe it myself. That rainbow got so bright it just seemed to glow with the most vibrant and brightest colors you can imagine and all with that golden hue. IT WAS AWESOME!!!! I was so filled with wonder and excitement about what I was witnessing I called Anne (my wife and Baby Cat's Mommy) to tell her about everything and see if she could see the rainbow too. She was excited as well but the trees blocked her view. She knew in her heart that I had just witnessed something very, very special and was happy that my Baby Cat and I were able to share one last moment together. It was truly awesome. I am 60 years old and I have driven more than 4 Million miles. I have never seen a sunrise rainbow much less one that was so bright with that depth of color and a golden hue. The events are true. Yes, Babe did all those things and the Rainbow happened exactly the way I told it to you. I know in my heart that my Baby Cat found a way send me a sign that she was ok and to make me feel better. I still miss her a lot but I don't cry everyday now.

I told you it was very, very COOL!! The way my Daddy understood that his Babe sent him this sign was just PURRRRFECT!!!

The End
It's not really the end
I will never see a rainbow again and not think of Babe.

I was inspired write this story because of the great love I had for my Cat.
The powerful grief I felt.
The belief I have that when you die things do not just stop. But that we have other things to do and places to go.
The Pastor of our church, now retired, said at his last sermon God has a plan for you. It may not be your plan but a plan none the less.

BABY GLASS
"THE BABE"
JULY ---- SEPTEMBER
1988 7, 2006