Oreo came into our lives nearly 15 years ago. He was a stray kitten that ran into our home on a rainy Saturday morning when our kids let a painter into our home. We had recently had another cat pass away from old age that I had had since I was 19 years old. The kids wanted another cat to replace "Kitties" but I said that stray cats make the best pets and we'd have to wait until a stray came along. On that day when Oreo came through our front door, either Jessie or Geoff yelled out, "Hey dad, it's a stray kitten, you said if a stray came to our house we could keep it." I was in my bedroom when all of this was happening. Without even coming out see the kitten, and without hesitation, I replied. "Yes, we can keep it." Because he was black and white a friend of Jessie's (who I think was at our home at the time) said "Name him Oreo." And so we did. Oreo was very ill with a respiratory infection and ear mites. We nurtured him back to full health and he always appreciated us for that. Oreo was with us during the growing up years of all of our children and was much more than a pet - he was a member of the family. Oreo and I became very close. I'm an introvert and I spend a lot of "alone time." But much of my alone time at home included Oreo with me. He liked to be with me when ever he could. I work from my home so he was with me a lot... in my office, when I watched the news at night and when we watched a movie in our theater. Oreo loved his family. He always knew when we were having family scripture time and family prayer. And without needing to call for him, he would always show up at these times to listen to the scriptures being read and be with us for family prayer... because he was part of the family and he knew it. He was very much loved by his family, and he very much loved his family. I will dearly miss Oreo.
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