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Message from Michelle Juehring

I hope I am the type of person my cat thinks I am

By Michelle Juehring

“Don’t be sad, Mommy. We can just change Mur-phy Brown’s name to Milan.” A few hours earlier, our family had said good-bye at the vet to our beloved cat of 15 years. I had been crying and to make me feel better, our son decided we should just change the name of our remaining cat. Ah, the wisdom and compassion of a four-year-old.

The Persian cat is thought to have arrived in Europe around the 16th century from Turkey, Iran (formerly Persia), and other neighboring countries. It is assumed that the long coat arose from a mutation in shorthaired cats that maybe were of Egyptian origin. The colder climates of Turkey and Iran certainly favored such a mutation. And though I was living in Italy when I fell in love with these two fur balls, my roots stem from Wisconsin — match.com could not have done a better job.

Milan and Murphy Brown were my babies before children. Even more, they were my best friends. I swore nothing (change of residence or divorce) or anyone (new husband or children) would get in the way of our strong bond. Their names were on my Christmas cards, they sat on my shoulder as we drove around town, they ate dinner with me at the table (albeit at the very end of the table), and slept on my pillow at night. They were smart, cute, and full of unconditional love. My grandpa Burnett called them bear cats because they were fuzzy and rascally. I called them mine and spoiled them rotten.

Milan had been sick, and while I knew what was eventually coming, I didn’t expect to make the decision on an afternoon with two toddlers in tow and my husband at work. By God’s grace, Dave arrived in time to be with us when we said our final good-byes to Milan. He took the kids outside so I could be with my buddy until the end. As I stroked his soft grey fur, I looked into his eyes and told him how much I loved him and how soon he would be feeling much better. And as my words turned into sobs and my tears clouded my vision, I thanked God for the life we had together and prayed God would welcome Milan home.

Enough time has passed now that when I think of Milan, I smile. We had such a great time; first when it was just us three and then with my husband and finally with the children. Milan’s presence in my life was an embodiment of God’s unconditional love. Those of you who have pets know what I mean. We try to do our best and even when we fall short, we still feel and are loved. How awesome is that?! And isn’t that what the coming of God in Christ is all about, so beautifully visualized in the hope and light of Advent?

Soon all children in Sunday School will get an Advent and Christmas Worship Booklet to take home with them. It is a reminder that the four Sundays before Christmas are a time of anticipation as we remember the birth of Jesus. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives today and look ahead to Christ’s return. What a comforting feeling for the dark and cold nights ahead.

This Christmas my goal is not to be drawn into the secular demands of a highly commercialized season — too much stress for the wrong reasons. Instead I am going to try to put the focus on the great gifts that Jesus’ birth brought us; love, hope, peace, and joy. I will try to embrace the Advent spirit. And during this special church season, by giving the gift of love and by helping others, I hope I can become not only the person my cat thought I was — but also the type of person Jesus would like me to be.

Michelle Juehring,

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