Todo
In Memoriam
Her nickname was “Toad.”
Abandoned at an early age.
Not blessed with beauty.
A tiny thing with long, unkempt black hair.
Not the best personality, and certainly not the best smile.
But then, life hadn’t afforded her much to smile about.
Never picked from the “please give me a forever home” announcements.
She looked like she had stepped out of The Wizard of Oz.
But only after the tornado, and before the good witch made things right.
Just a tiny, homely, bedraggled thing with coarse hair.
And a coarse personality to match.
But deep in those big black eyes was a sweet puppy.
Wanting to be accepted.
Wanting to love. Needing to be loved.
Wanting a place to call home,
And yet never quite knowing how to get there on her own.
So, the “crazy cat lady” at The Cat House, Lynea,
With a heart that always seems to be bigger than whatever the need,
Who also loves dogs. Even homely, curious looking ones.
Said “You’re mine. You come live with me.”
And from that moment she always knew she had Lynea’s love.
And so, for the next sixteen years, Todo had her forever home.
A family of 700 cats, 300 kittens, and their 40 or so caregivers.
And for the last seven of those years, she had her best bud, Shiloh.
A lovely Rottweiler of 65 lb who bonded with the little Toad who weighed in at fifteen.
Quite a pair. They went everywhere together. Miles and miles of everywhere.
Over the hills. Across the fields. Along the Kings River.
Always one more squirrel to chase and one more smell to investigate.
I only knew Todo the last year of her life.
There was something about her I found endearing underneath all the bluster and self-protective posturing that still remained.
Something drew me to her. Caused me to love her even as she was.
And in her curious way, she learned to reciprocate.
Lynea and I walked often with Todo and Shiloh across their Kings River wonderland.
Cancer of the heart took Shiloh in July.
I think it was perhaps a broken heart that took Todo three months later in October.
She is a reminder that we are all broken somewhat.
We all have our unpresentable and wounded interiors and exteriors.
We are all in search of love and acceptance.
And we find it at times in the most unusual and unexpected of places.
As in the eyes and hearts of little ones like Todo.
Rest well Todo. Run free with Shiloh across the fields and hills along the river.
You can show us the best of your new haunts when we finally join you
In that Day yet to come.
— David Anderson
Buddy: | Shiloh |