On Sunny Lane: Skittles, Come Home

It was 5 1/2 years ago that my cat Skittles ran away from home.

I have never believed that he met a tragic end. I have believed that in his wanderings, he found a little boy or girl, or a lonely widow or widower, who needed him more than I did.

A couple of years ago, Skittles came to the yard on a Sunday morning. I saw him when I looked out of the bedroom window. You may say that many cats look alike, but he has distinctive markings that only a mother can discern. His personality is distinctive, as well.

When he was a kitten, I gave him his name because he was skittish. He ran away when he saw somebody new come into the area, or when there was a sudden movement. That’s what he did that Sunday morning, when I went outside and tried to entice him back into my life. He crouched and watched me from a distance and then ran off into oblivion.

It’s happening again. Since his sister, Flopsie, went to cat heaven, I have been seeing signs that he may, possibly, be wanting to come back. I’ve been seeing pawprints in the snow, leading right up to the mud room door.

One morning, I saw him crouched right there on the side porch, looking up at me through the window on the door. When I threw the switch to unlock the door, he skittered back a few feet. So, we just looked at each other for a few minutes. Why didn’t he want to come inside where it was warm? I went to get Sweetheart, so he could see Skittles, but, when we came to the door, he was gone.

I still see pawprints in the snow. They seem to appear during the night, or early in the morning, when I am sleeping. I can’t stay up all night to look for him, even though I look for him every time I walk past the mudroom door. Cats are nocturnal creatures and I am a dayturnal person.

I think he might want to come back to his old home. And I would especially welcome, him now that Flopsie is gone.

How I would love to pick him up and hold him in my arms again. I would love to feel his little body in the crook of my arm, as he once did when we napped together. What joy it would bring me to hear him purr in my ear the way he used to.

It doesn’t matter to me why Skittles left his happy home. At least, I thought it was happy. I don’t care where he has been or what he has done all of those years. If only he knew it, I would welcome him with open arms. The decision is his.

I wonder if God feels this way about us when we go astray. I wonder if there are some people who, like Skittles, are skittish about returning to God’s arms.

They might be surprised if they did.

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Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com