The Guest

style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand"
alt="" src="12-26-03 The Guest_files/kisha.jpg"
border=0>She wandered in off the street to the party
univited. She was not dressed for the occasion, her coat
ratty, and she thin and hungry. No one said anything
even though she obviously didn't below, yet a few party
guests took pity and gave her some food from the buffet
table. She was quietly thankful, knowing it would cause
a scene if she became too visible and that she would be
asked to leave. Kelly introduced herself and got her a
plate and took her over into a corner where she smiled
and ate, not saying much. When she had her fill, she
looked up knowing it was time to leave and began to head
toward the door into the chill of the high desert
night.

Kelly looked at me, tears in her eyes, but
said nothing. I knew what she wanted to
do.

"Let's ask her to stay at our place for a
while," I said.

Kelly smiled and headed straight
to the door. I could see her talking with the young lady
and then hugging her. I walked over and Kelly introduced
me to "Kisha," who nodded submissively but I could see
in her eyes that her spirit had not been
broken.

We all walked back to the house together,
smiling, the cold night air warmed by the event. At our
home, we introduced her to our animal children --
Comogente, Suerte, Gidget, Dahli Ween, Chica, and
Goldie. They all welcomed Kisha without objection. They
have seen many guests come and go.

Kisha looked
up at us as if to say one more time, "Are you sure this
is OK?", and then laid down by the fireplace next to
Goldie where she would sleep, warm and protected, as she
has ever since. Sometimes now when we arrive home late,
I am reminded of something Margaret Mead once observed,
"One of the oldest human needs is having someone to
wonder where you are when you don't come home at night."
Kisha wonders and we can see the relief in her eyes when
we walk in the door.

href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5431/188/1600/kisha2.jpg"> style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand"
alt="" src="12-26-03 The Guest_files/kisha2.jpg"
border=0>Now, two months after meeting Kisha and
bringing her home, it is time for her to find her home,
a forver home, and give us room to bring in more guests
from the streets and feed and comfort them until they,
too, find the place they should be
forever.

You'll agree she is beautiful, a
brilliant black with white markings, loves to be
touched, to sleep next to the bed at night, and always
protective. She gets along well with her roommates, but
would make someone a wonderful only companion. If you
are that person, or know who he or she is, please let us
know. We will be driving to Dallas in mid-January and
will bring Kisha with us to a special, loving, always
home.

Epilog: We miss all of our guests when they
leave, and I would be lying if I said we have not shed
many tears when that time comes. This will particularly
be true with Kisha whose love, joy, and spirit will be
missed. Yet, unless we let our guests move on to their
forever-homes, we cannot bring in more guests from the
streets, and as Kelly reminds me, oftentimes through her
tears, that is the mission.