******* HI EVERYONE: Just wanted to bring this story back that DJ had posted back in 2003...... Love, Denise xo****



(I'm SO tired of crying at work.....)

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, 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.

some of us need to read this again...

Thank you DJ, for sharing!

Love, it doesn't cost a thing, and it is so easy to give......

There is much more in my heart right now....I just can't seem to get my thoughts typed out...
I'm thinking about this life, this world.....with tears in my eyes...

Love,
Denise

But even with the losses - isn't this a wonderful world? This morning at 6:15 my cat Oscar woke me up, purring and talking and telling me all about his morning!! I smiled so hard tears came to my eyes.

For every moment of grief there is a corresponding moment of happiness - we just lose sight of that when we're in pain.

Oh Lord, somehow I missed ever reading this story about "Ugly." That is one of the saddest and most poignant things I have ever read. Poor, poor little cat -- what a loving little spirit. It just breaks my heart, as I know it did yours and everyone else who read it.

How wonderfully kind and generous and compassionate you are -- to have loved that little animal with sores and all. Most people would not have been able to do that.

Why, oh why, would anyone be so cruel to such a helpless little thing? What is wrong with these people? What can we do? Why are the maimed and helpless treated so cruelly? I just don't understand it. When I hear things like this, it just makes me want to curl into a little ball myself and never ever get up again (and that's how I was feeling already before I read this story), but I know we must do something -- I just don't know what. Thank goodness for people like you!

Marcia

Hi Everyone:

I wanted to bring back this story; not that it is "that far back..........", but it means a lot to me....

I was talking to my doctor's secretary today, and we were talking about our love of animals............

In her home, she has a furdog, a bird, and about four months ago, adopted a furcat............Just like the one
that you are about to read about...........

I wish all of you MUCH, MUCH PEACE, LOVE, HEALTH & HAPPINESS....

Love, Denise, Ben, Ms. Lucy (Juicy) and Mr. Yoster (Yo-Yo Ma) xo

Thank you for bringing this one back too Denise!
I just cried and cried through the story. There's alot to that story!

Cheri

WOW! What a story... a lot of people could learn from Ugly.

Amy

My heart just ached for that little kitty! I had the box of tissues in my lap for that one! Wonderful moral to that story.....

The most important part of that story is that it really has nothing at all to do with our pets - and everything to do with US.

True (I realize it is about love in general), and yet it touched me the most in the way it described how many animals in this world have to live---and they don't have many legal rights at all. The story reminded me of a movie I saw when I was a kid in the late 60's/early 70's: "A Girl Named Sooner". It absolutely broke my heart and left a lasting impression. As Marcia said, "That is one of the saddest and most poignant things I have ever read. It just breaks my heart. Why are the maimed and helpless treated so cruelly? When I hear things like this, it just makes me want to curl into a little ball myself and never ever get up again. But I know we must do something -- I just don't know what."

What we are doing here on this site---sharing our support---is a good start. The words we write to each other, the love we give, can change the world.

What other ideas do you guys have? I want to do more.

DJ, thanks for sharing the story.

WOW...what a story. Yes..I can so feel the tears coming from deep down inside over this story.
I can't wait to get home tonight and hug and love my 3 kitties. God knows the Love we each have in our heart and I believe that he will give us Each the chance to show as many furbabies that love as we can.
I just lost my Maxi 3 days ago...I know that I will be given many more to share my life with.
So very sad for the poor kittie. I agree and wonder also..how Can people be so mean to an animal?
Suzanne

DITTO, KATHY..........................

Myself, as one person in this world..............I can't do much-----I cannot do everything...(not nearly).....

BUT, With an Army of Loving, Caring, Passionate people alongside you and I............

WE DO HAVE "HOPE"!!!!

And, with HOPE, WE CAN HAVE CHANGE.......

I truly believe that this world, (in very, very small parts/areas), can be changed, one very, very tiny, tiny step
at a time.............

I WOULD LOVE TO believe that yes, with this site...................our topics..........and, in D & D, the topic that Daryl started.....

COULD THIS BE OUR BEGINNING????? I want to say "YES".... But...

I have always wanted "to start" such a topic that Daryl did......(THANK YOU DARYL!!!!!! )

And, I do not feel that I need "any anonymity" AT ALL TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, CONCERNS.......
Personally, that's just me.......

I have A LOT OF HISTORY IN MY LIFE............AND, if by sharing MY STORY, if it could help even one person.....
I would start talking....

I have "a past" family history of total dysfunction.............And, as a RESULT of that, "I too, have a history"....

And, I am NOT ASHAMED...... I am not ashamed of my family.........and, I'm not ashamed of myself!!!!

Because I know that we are all human.........we feel "the same things"..... We go through similar things.. It's called "Human Nature".

IT JUST "IS" WHAT "IT IS"........

Thanks for sharing Kathy.................

I know that you and I "are in the same AGE range", (early/mid 40's).......... and I watched that movie, as well.......
I was touched, very, very much ---- just as you were!!!!

You know..............I think of the Nursing Home that my father is in..... (he's 74...)
And, there are many, many, many people there..........in wheelchairs.........when I go (which is rarely, because I get
too depressed), but the men and women..................


They reach their arms out, just to be touched...........To have someone 'FEEL THEM'......

They are daughters, sons, father's, mother's, sister's, brother's, etc................
THESE PEOPLE ARE SOMEONE......
But, they are reaching out so that THEY CAN FEEL ALIVE!!!!

TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE ALIVE!!!!!!!!

They are lost, and no one visits them, and my heart breaks.......

Sorry if this is depressing..............but, THIS IS LIFE.........THIS IS AMERICA!!!!!

And, I am sorry........

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.............

EVERYONE, ALWAYS..........YOU ARE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS......

LOVE, DENISE AND BEN

p.s. thank you for listening..

I wanted to bring this back again, in case lots of you haven't read this story about, "Ugly"......

God Bless You All....

Love, Denise xo

Ugly is only, truly, a state of mind. Beauty is in dignity.

To me the story of Ugly is all about being full of love and forgiving those that may hurt you and laugh at you, call you names, and do you wrong. It is about finding the compassion to carry on and still be brave enough to face life without giving up on hope. To be able to love and to give even if it means being hurt and rejected. So if that's what ugly means then I want to be the most ugly person on the face of the earth.
Ann

OK, that is truly one of the saddest stories I have ever read. Is it really true? I really, really hope not!