Last week the neighbor’s cat started showing up at our portico door, meowing for food. Her owners are away so I guess she was feeling lonely or neglected. So Sophia, being the empathetic sort she is, fed her and now ”Bonnie”  comes over ever morning and we feed her. What the hell. If you have five kids, four cats, three dogs, two fish and a bird, what’s one more cat?

Cats aren’t the only ones showing up at our doorstep these days. We have had some stray kids too. Well, not exactly strays since we know who their owners/parents are. The kids I’m referring to are some of our children’s friends who have made our house the “after school hang out”. It’s a kid friendly house. We have a trampoline, an art studio, a ping pong table, yummy snacks and an endless supply of warm hugs and compassionate understanding.

Last week Cheryl brought her new friends from her new school to our house to introduce them to her blood brothers and unblood sisters. The kids did not seem to want to leave. Not that I minded having them here but around 6:30 in the evening I asked them, “Are your parents coming to get you?”

“No. They’re at work still.” They replied.

“Oh. OK. How about you stay for dinner?” I asked them.

“Sure!” Was their enthusiastic response. I noted  that neither girl made a call to check to see if it was OK to stay. They simply came to the table. I would hope that there is a parent or caregiver somewhere wondering where these children are.

After supper I drove them home and the girls were extremely polite and grateful when they got out of the car. I told them, “You are always welcome at our house.” And I meant it. I would much rather have the kids at our house so I can keep an eye on them and keep them safe.

Last night, our home became a safe haven of a different sort. One of Mark’s friend’s mom called to tell us that she and her husband got into a fight and their son, Mark’s friend, stormed off. They did not know where he was and asked that we please call them if he turned up at our house. We immediately called Mark at his mom’s and told him to call his friend to tell him he could come to our house if he needed to. Around 10PM, a bedraggled, tired, worn out kid came lumbering down our driving. He had been hanging out at a park, got cold and when he got the call from Mark, he decided to come here. Paul sat him down and talked to him while I served him up a big helping of pie and ice cream. The boy was very relieved to feel safe and unjudged. Paul told him he could relate to his issues as he was once a teenage boy himself. The boy called his parents to let them know he was with us and he spent the night in Mark’s room. Afterward Paul turned to me and said, “Every teenager needs to have a friend’s family to be their safe haven when the going gets tough and they don’t feel like anyone understands them.” I am happy to say that our home is such a place.