Crazy Cat Lady

This past Friday, the world lost someone who contributed to society, wholeheartedly.  My friend, Anna O - double R- E- double L (as her ornery father, my teacher, would say) slipped out of this world leaving a 17 year old son and three beloved cats.  Anna was only 41.  She had battled cancer, at least twice, was going to be battling it again soon, and had the worst luck when it came to health issues.  The fight was constant.  Yet, she put up such a good front.

I met Anna back in high school when her father was a teacher and coach at MHS.  He was such a stinker.  (I wrote about him when he passed away a few years ago.)  It was a love/hate relationship with Mr. O, but he has a terrific wife and a wonderful daughter.  We weren't close friends by any means, but she was the type of person that you might see only every now and then but have the best conversation when we ran into each other.  I never passed up the opportunity to talk to her.

Anna & I 'fighting' at the wresting match.

I remembered this picture of Anna and I (the only one that exists probably) from a few years back when our high school sponsored a wrestling match.  She had bought her son front-row tickets and they were down there soaking it in.  There wasn't anything Anna would not sacrifice for her son, it was evident in every decision she made for him.

Anna was a cat lover, probably the biggest cat lover I know.  She had three cats and only one of them, it's my understanding, is friendly to anyone but Anna.  So sad.  Those kitties, I'm sure, are wondering where their loving mama went.  I cannot love on my kitties right now without instantly thinking of my friend, the Crazy Cat Lady.

She got me hooked on Downton Abbey and I loved running into her at the Yarn store (she lived right upstairs).  She was a knitter, which goes right along with the cat obsession, huh?  She always had a smile on her face and was so loyal to her close friends.

The day before she passed away, her Facebook post was all about finding a child in need to give her son's brand new X-Box to.  She and her son had talked and decided there was someone out there who needed more than her son.  Again, that was so Anna.

I once sent her a link to the song "Stronger" by Matthew West because when I heard it, I thought of her.  This is the opening verse:

You must think I'm strong

to give me what I'm going through.

Well, forgive me if I'm wrong,

But this looks like more than I can do

On my own.

The whole song is great, but that first part was so Anna.  Thankfully, Anna was a believer.  She attended her Catholic church faithfully, and although she had some different views on things, I thought the world of her.  Her outlook on life was so positive all the time, even in light of the crud she was facing.  Her son meant everything to her (and her cats).  She had devoted this year to him as it was his senior year and she was going to do nothing but focus on him and his activities.  Then, she would take care of herself.  Unfortunately, her plan didn't work out that way.

That's the thing about this life...it's not about our plans, but His.  We can have all our ducks in a row, but it doesn't matter.   I will really miss her silly Facebook posts, kitty stories and proud mama pictures.  See you some day, Anna-Banana.

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."  Proverbs 16:9