The parting of friends
Next Monday I will say good-bye to the sweet kitten I recently rescued and named “Lisette.” I have found a great home for her. A little more than ten years ago I said good-bye to another woman named Lisette who is now a Poor Clare. She gave up that name for a religious name a long time ago. I’m somewhat ashamed to tell you that I don’t know what it is. She left every bauble and empty promise of this world for a life of total poverty devoted to God. Her feet are bare feet now as are those of her sisters. The community is entirely dependent on God’s grace and the generosity of others for the necessities. When I found this tiny kitten she was in the very same state though completely alone. After some thought I decided to name her “Lisette” in memory of my dear friend.
We exchanged letters only once after the entered the cloister. More than that I’m afraid would have been a distraction for her and too much for me. While in college we dated for about a year and a half before she became a religious. Actually we were best friends who kissed goodnight every now and then. Since we weren’t kissing anyone else goodnight we agreed that we were dating. I loved her enough to give her the space she needed for the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s perfect will for her. I knew God had plans for her. I was at peace with that. Looking back on our relationship I know the Spirit had to be at work. In my whole life I have never been as much at peace in a relationship as I was with her.
The time came very quickly that we would see each other for the last time. We said good-bye at her parent’s house just days before she entered the cloister. We cried and embraced. I took a step back from her to look into her eyes.
“It broke,” she said.
“What broke?” I whispered.
“My heart.”
When I say good-bye to this kitten I will tell her what I wish I had told Lisette at that moment.
“When you die, Lisette, go straight to Heaven and wait for me there.”