When words are few and hearts raw, God provides.

This week, provision came in the form of letters from little people.

I’m not up for being funny or pretending to be profound this week. But death and sorrow don’t have the final word, and life in the blogisphere, as at Tabby’s Place, marches on.

So please permit me to call it anything but a coincidence that we — or, rather, the Tabby’s Place cats — have just received an eminently blogworthy bundle of correspondence.

The amazing SusanM is not only a Tabby’s Place wonder-volunteer; she’s not only a commenter of extreme comfort. She also happens to be The Coolest Elementary School Teacher Ever To Educate. This is a true fact.

Case in point: Susan’s eight-year-old students were required to practice writing a “personal letter.” Lesser teachers would have them write to their uncles or homies or personal stylists.

Sue had them write to Tabby’s Place cats.

I present to you the missives of Mrs. M’s class. Note that these are all 100% real (not as though any mere adult could fake such sweetness). The only edits I’ve made are to remove the kidlets’ last names:

Dear Hank,
You look very cute. I have two cats at my house. My two cats are tabby cats. I can tell your not a tabbys cat because you have a white spot on your head.
Love, Dori

Dear Shadow,
I’ve heared you are a very good girl. I really want to come and see you. Mrs. M talks about you alot. I’ve heared you are a little tempermamental but that is ok. I think you’ll be a very good kittie if I come to meet you at Tabby’s Place. I would be so excited to meet you.
Love, Joey (note from Angela: Joey, Shadow found her forever home — but she told her friends to give you a warm welcome when you visit)

Dear Emilia,
I have learned so much about you. Do you have anything rong with you? I wish I could adopt you but unfortunately I can’t because some of my friends and family are allergic to sheding. My name is Emily and my name in Spanish is your name! I have never had surgerey. I am really good with animals and I love cats. So there is no reason to be afrade of me. I saw your picture you are really cute I love you! I hope I see you soon.
Love, Emily

Dear Barley,
I hope your tall (tail) is feeling ok I like your ies. Ges what my ies are green to. Your a boy right wheal I am too.
Sinserly, Porter

Dear Virginia,
I love cats! I love orange too. Your so cute. My cousin was born in 2007 too. I want to see you if I ever come to Tabbys Place.
Love your awsome friend, Marissa

Dear Flower,
I hear you are a very nice cat. I was born the same year as you, 2005. I had surgery too. But not on my nose. Just so you know my name is Mary. I think you have a relly nice color. Don’t you think that it would be cool if animals could talk? I hope I could see you.
Love, Mary

Dear Luigi,
I hope your jaw is better. I wonder how old you are. I mite come and see you at Tabbys Place in the summer. You know that you cute right. When I get home I’m going to show you to my family. Do you like it in Tabbys Place? I hope you get adopted.
Love, Claire (note from Angela: Claire, Luigi did get adopted just this week :-))

Dear Newman,
I was wondering how old you ar and when you were born. I feel bad for you because of your FIV+ and I hear you are very sweet and you have no aggression in you. I really want to meet you and you love attention so do I. I hear you love people.
Love, Chase

Dear Steven,
Your just like my dad because my dad name is Steven he also like to be calm. I hear that your a tabby cat I like tabby cats. I wonder if somone is going to adopt you I hope somone does.
Sincerly, your friend Jacob
P.S. My name is Jacob

Dear Edward,
You are very cute. I wish I could meet you but I am allergic to cats. How old are you? Do you like Tabby’s Place? I feel bad for you because you have FIV+. I hope you are doing well. My friend Elizabeth went to Tabby’s Place. I hope all is well.
Love, Rohini

Dear Rangpurr,
You’d should stop hiding so somebody can adopt you. Don’t you think. Is your favorite color orange? If it’s not can you tell me what color is your favorite.
Love, Tora

Dear Natalie,
Do you know Dot? You are probubly verry cute. You look like my cat Hue exept you are a girl and he is a boy. You have a lot incomin (in common) with my cat.
Love, Elizabeth

Dear Lester,
Is your FIV doing well? My name is Lee it is close to your name. Is Tabby’s Place good? I love the color white and black.
Your friend, Lee

Out of the mouths of babes come healing and grace and laughter and love. Children of God, know that we — that is, our cats — will be responding to each and every letter personally. In the meantime: Jacob, I am glad your dad likes to be calm, but I sincerely hope he doesn’t have too much in common with Steven.

Unrelated PS: I continue to be embraced and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, sympathy, prayer and grace from all you ultra-humans following Webster’s promotion to Heaven. If you ask if I am okay, the answer is “Yes. No. Of course not. I will be. Maybe. Yes. Kind of. Reply hazy, try again later.” I keep feeling Webster curling around my ankles and pawing at me to be picked up, and my body instinctively bends over to scoop him into my arms before my brain catches up and remembers he’s not there. Yet God is getting me through it, and He’s using you, moment-by-moment, more than you can imagine.

Words and space are insufficient for all the thanks deserved. I can only say: to those who sent flowers upon flowers, cards that made me cry in a good way, emails of wisdom and love; to those who called and cried and held me and “got it;” even to those fellow Tabby’s Place employees who finally allowed me to name a cat “Jean Valjean” — a name they universally abhor — just to show me grace…thank you. You are a healing balm from the hands of Heaven to a very tattered but blessed, grieving but grateful heart.

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