April, 1991

Walking down seventh street on my way to catch a streetcar, in hand a cardboard box fashioned into an animal carrier. As the wind blows blustery and cold a frightened little yowl rises from inside the box, looking for reassurance. So begins the story of Beezer.

In the warehouse at the place where I work a litter of kittens had been born. The little brood was given catfood and fresh milk and soon their patrons, plotting future adoption, extolled all of us to visit the new family. In a perfect world there would have been time for all be swept away to new homes, but in the real world a deadline had been set. At the end of two weeks any remaining kittens would be taken to the animal shelter. I resisted the temptation to visit them, hoping all would be adopted in time, but as the first week passed one kitten remained. Despite my resistance I decided that if no one else would have this kitten I would take him home.

And so the week of the deadline came, and so the final kitten remained unclaimed, and so I went to meet our future room mate. Down a narrow isle, in a quiet corner, the kitten box lay in a pool of soft light. Inside were four kittens, as different from one another as they could be. The largest was a handsome root beer tabby. Next was a black & white Sylvester-styled kitten and then another tabby, orange and sleek. The last was the unclaimed kitten, an unremarkable gray and white runt with a funny white nose. He mewed when he saw me and I knew I'd made the right choice. "Don't worry little guy, you're going home tonight." I worked on the cat carrier between phone calls and tried to think of a good name for him. For some reason Ebeneezer popped into my head, but it felt too long so I shortened it to "Beezer"- and it felt just right! Next came the phone call home saying to expect a little surprise.

Now the "J" streetcar clatters away as Beezer and I head up the hill for home. Soon Barbara will greet us at the door and lay eyes on Beezer for the first time. So begins the story of two people and their cat associate. It's hard to imagine it's almost been fifteen years since that day.

Beezer: 1991 to 2006

The heart is a nerve that is connected directly to the soul. When it is broken you are broken and when it is healed you are healed. The heart has an infinite capacity for love and so an infinite capacity for sorrow and joy. The language of the heart is personal and special, populated with expressions like fuzz-cake and purr-ball, Mr. Beeze, catawump and Beezaroo. Its meaning comes from the fountain of life and memory.

Dear little Beezer, we will love you forever. -BB & CC