Misty Mornings

Fall has arrived, and with it, the misty mornings have returned. But this year will be different. My Misty, who loved to be near me in the mornings, is gone. She's been gone almost three days now - most likely the latest victim of the neighborhood coyote. The house seems empty. The cat tree, out of place. Do I set up the cat door again so she can get in the house if she comes back? Do I put her food dish back on the floor when it comes out of the dishwasher? What about all her cat toys scattered here and there? If she's gone to be with her sister, Licorice, how long do I mourn? How long do I wait to find a new cat? Or bird? Or fish? The one certainty when you have a pet in your family is that it will die - one way or another. Should I be glad that she didn't have to suffer through old age or disease? I loved that cat... she was a sweet little kitty who was a dear member of the family, and we will miss her furry face.

One thing is for sure, things and people come and go in our lives every day. Some we barely notice are there, some we barely notice are gone. Some are gone in an instant, like a popping balloon; some fade over time, like an ice-cube slowly melting into oblivion. Who will notice as each yellow leaf falls off the autumn maple, until there are so few left we can see the skeleton? And yet, God is constant - His love endures forever.