Homeless

Because I hadn't been grocery shopping in quite a while, our cupboards were empty of food for lunch. At my lunch break, I took ZBoy to Whataburger for lunch, to be followed by a trip to the grocery store.

As we approached the door, a very thin young lady approached us, begging for food.

"Don't touch her," I whispered to ZBoy as we guiltily opened the restaurant door and went inside.

I had to wash my hands (having filled my gas tank before we got there), and Z asked if he could buy a hamburger for the hapless soul by the door. I thought for a moment, then handed him a couple of dollars to buy a burger with before heading for the bathroom.

When I came out, he was waiting for his order. I stepped up to the counter and the manager asked for my order. I turned to Z to ask what he wanted, and a helpful young lady said that he'd already ordered.

"I know," I said. "But that burger was not for him. It's for the unfortunate outside your door."

I got a blank look from her, but the light suddenly clicked on in her mind and she smiled.

My boy had ordered a plain, dry hamburger - for the thin, young mama cat begging food outside. She had a litter of very young kittens somewhere, as it was obvious that she was nursing. We couldn't take her... it would kill the kittens. But we could make sure she had something to eat.

As we drove towards the grocery store, ZBoy said, "I love you, Mom. Thank you for letting me buy meat for that cat."

Some days, you know you're raising them right.