Pages: 1
The Integrity of "Ugly"
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)
Posted by: akabezalel
Grab a Hanky!
Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was.
Ugly was the resident tomcat.
Ugly loved three things in this world:
fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.
The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly.
To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long age been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch. Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby, striped-type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs.
Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's one
UGLY cat!!"
All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw
rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in
their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly
always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness. Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him, up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could find.
One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's huskies. They did not
respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. From my apartment I could
hear his screams, and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to
where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad life was almost at an end.
Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white strip of fur that ran down his
front.
As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him
wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must be
hurting him terribly, I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear.
I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his
head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear
the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly
battled-scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps
some compassion.
At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen.
Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way.
Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.
Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly.
Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for. Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful,
but for me,
I will always try to be Ugly.
Posted by: Annie7
I can't wait to see all God's loving animals in Heaven some day.
They are truly blessings to us and we learn a lot about God from them.
About love, affection, faithfulness, protectiveness, and the list is endless.
Thank you Lord, for your creatures and thank you for the story.
God bless.
Posted by: Annie7
Hi again.
Here's to all God's creatures!
Posted by: jmss114
As an animal lover myself, that truly touched me. I lost one of my cats a few years ago, bercause my neighbor does not like black cats. The poor cat had gone into her yard and she chased it out into the middle of the uncoming traffic. I am not particularily fond of snakes, but i would never intentionally kill one. I just wish people would start to love and appreciate all of God's creatures, regardless of their looks.
Posted by: StarChilde
One of my own illustrations of inner beauty has been this one:
You can wrap a piece of excrement in the most beautiful gift wrap, embellish it with bows, fancy ribbons, and it will still be nothing more than a piece of excrement. You can take a piece of gold, wrap it in a piece of soggy newspaper, or a used kleenex, and it still will be a piece of gold. All the outside wrappings in the world, will not change what is truly inside.