By Jeanette M. Pintar - with inspiration from Misty

There was something about Misty. She was… different… Special… Everyone who met her said the same thing, "She's not your typical cat." Some said that because her eyes looked right into your soul. Others said she possessed a beauty they'd never seen before. Almost everyone said they experienced a surprisingly peaceful and calming effect whenever she was in the room and that she just emanated love all around her. I had a few people tell me she was my special angel. I agree. Misty came into my life just when I needed her most - even though I didn't know it at the time. (I didn't even like cats, I sure didn't think I needed one!) But I did. I needed her companionship, her healing peace, her love, her reassuring purrs, and her total and complete trust in me. And I needed to be able to give her all those things in return.

So many times God sends us just what we need, when we need it, even though we might not recognize it. Misty was definitely our real-life angel. Mark even had a vision immediately after her soul's graduation that proved it - and Mark is definitely not into "visions" or "all that spiritual stuff." Misty herself proved to be an angel more than any insight or vision could. She was always there for us offering unconditional love and helping us grow into better people. She created a connection with our souls and guided us through life in ways were unaware of but benefited greatly from.

Every human being has real-life angels. They come in many shapes and sizes, cleverly disguised as people and sometimes as pets. They might be family members, teachers, bosses, or friends. Sometimes real-life angels are strangers who help us out at just the right moment, giving us an unexpected gift that touches our soul. Sometimes they're people who are in our lives for just a few minutes or a few hours. Sometimes they're a part of our livelihood for days, months or years. No matter how short or long their stay with us is, we will be impacted in a very special way. And our hearts will have been touched by an angel.

--- © Jeanette M. Pintar, Inspired by Misty