By Ronnie Smith
For the Salisbury Post

After reading Elisabeth Strillacci’s editorial “The Hardest Goodbye” in the Sunday, Sept. 17, Salisbury Post, I was deeply touched by her love for animals. For all of us animal lovers, here’s another story that has meant a great deal to my family.

“And God said, I will send them to you without wings so no one suspects they are angels.”

It was late summer 2006. It had been a difficult year for our family. Mom had been diagnosed years earlier with progressive dementia, and this terrible disease had taken its toll on my father who was her primary caregiver.

As it was our family custom, every Sunday we would take Pop out to lunch or bring home a takeout meal to have with Mom. We were a very close-knit family.

One Sunday after lunch when we drove into the driveway, my wife Janis said, “Look over there under the bushes, it looks like a little kitten.” Janis jumped from the car and began to call, “Kitty, kitty.” The gold-colored kitten with beautiful greenish-yellow eyes came running to Janis who picked it up in her arms. It was a friendly kitten, and we suspected it was abandoned, orphaned or someone had put it out in the neighborhood.

Janis took the scraggily little kitten to Pop and said, “Pop, look what God sent you and Mom.” Pop tried not to look at the kitten and said, “That’s the last thing we need around here.”

But we knew Pop had a soft spot for animals and especially cats. I said, “Pop, you’ll just have to keep it until we can find it a home.”

Janis then said, “Pop, what are you going to name your new kitten?” Without hesitation, Pop said, “I’ll just call him Buddy for now. Then Janis picked up its tail and said, “Pop, I’ve got news for you. It’s a little girl, and Buddy is a boy’s name. Why don’t you call her Goldilocks, just like the fairytale.”

Pop immediately responded, “OK, but I’ll call her Goldie for short.” Goldie’s new name stuck like glue and she never left her new home. Soon little Goldie became the queen of the house. After some cleaning up and shots at the vet, Goldie settled in to become one of the most spoiled and lovable cats you’ve ever known.

It’s said that God works in mysterious ways. It’s funny how sometimes He can intervene with a ray of sunshine when we encounter hardships along the journey through life. Even with Mom’s dementia, she would always perk up and smile whenever Goldie approached her in the house. They soon became best friends and close companions. Goldie was not a lap cat but would like to snuggle next to Mom or Pop on the sofa or in the bed. She soon became the favorite sibling in our family, the lifeline that Mom and Pop needed.

I always knew how much Pop loved Goldie, but it was not until 2012 when Goldie was six years old and Pop was in the hospital with a very serious illness. On one of my last visits with Pop at his bedside, he kept pulling at his oxygen mask as if he wanted to tell me something. I gently removed his mask and in a soft spoken voice, he said, “Ronnie, I need to ask you to do me a big favor.” Of course, I said, “Pop, I’ll do anything in the world for you, just name it.”

Suspecting he was going to ask me to look after Mom when he was gone, I was surprised when he said, “Will you promise me you will always love and take good care of Goldie for me?” What could I say but “Yes, Pop, I always will.” Pop passed away two days later and Mom died the following year. Goldie and I soon became the best of friends.

It’s been an interesting 12 years since Pop went to Heaven. Almost every single day, I drive to Mom and Pop’s empty house to take care of our Goldie. Morning, noon and evening, Goldie and I spend most of the day together. She has the full roam of the house. I figure I’ve visited Goldie at least 10,000 times during the past years. We have a morning ritual. We scoop the box, open a fresh can of cat food, refill her water bowl, get a daily brushing and go outside to feed the birds and squirrels. It’s been our routine for the past 12 years. Goldie sits with me most of the day in my makeshift office in her permanent home.

Why am I writing this story? I guess my point is this . . . if you’ve never owned or adopted a dog or a cat, you may not know what you’re missing. They give you their unconditional love and only ask for your love in return.

When I arrive at the house each morning, Goldie is at the back door with her tail in the air anxiously waiting on me to open the door and say “Good morning, Goldie!” It’s so difficult to leave Goldie in the evening, but she knows I’ll be back. Janis and I have our own spoiled cat at home, and Goldie seems so happy and comfortable in her home.

I guess as long as I am physically able, I will try my best to always keep my promise to Pop. I pray that I will always love and care for Goldie. She’s been one of the best things that God has ever given me and my family . . . the unconditional love of a furry four-legged friend.

Now, maybe you know better what you’ve been missing. So, please consider adopting or rescuing an abandoned animal. We support Faithful Friends Animal Sanctuary, Humane Society of Rowan County and Shelter Guardians, and we hope you will, too! And thank you Elisabeth for your wonderful story.

Ronnie Smith lives in Salisbury.