As a member of Patterson's Key Club, in 1961, I was encouraged to do volunteer work.  I volunteered at Saint Francis' School for Special Education, which was located in north Baltimore, on Maryland Avenue at 23rd. Street. The school was orginally begun as an orphanage in 1881. Many of the children I worked with had severe disabilities.  This story is about disabilities ...and courage.

Several years ago,  on a cold January night I found myself supervising a Supported Employment cleaning crew at the Eastern Shore Community Services Board buildings in Nassawadox, Va.  (Supported Employment is a program designed to help people with special needs to learn work skills and eventually be able to work independently).  It was January 7th,  the Feast Day of "Little Christmas",  according to the ancient Julian Calendar,  - the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic observation of the Birth of Jesus.

My crew consisted of Louanne and David,  both Eastern Shore natives.  We were just beginning the 3 hour chore of cleaning the many offices in the two buildings there.  The night was cold and still and the stars over Nassawadox were bright,  with one star especially brilliant.  I remember Louanne calling it the "Christmas star."

As we carried our cleaning supplies from one building to the next,  we heard a faint "meow" coming from the shrubbery in front of the Administration building.  We stopped,  and out of a dark yew walked a fat,  little,  black and white kitten  - marbled in design like many black and white cats.  Louanne and David were thrilled!  I was surprised by this little kitten's courage in the face of three strangers and a wide assortment of noisy cleaning equipment.

The kitten was very friendly and proceeded to follow us as we made our way into the building.  Louanne,  who loved animals,  pleaded with me to allow the kitten into the building,  "for just a few minutes -  to warm-up,  she wouldn't be in the way."  Somehow,  as I looked the other way, the Little Christmas cat ran into the building and followed us down the hallway where we all became acquainted.  After about 10 minutes I told Louanne and David that we had to get back to work.  I put the kitten outside where she just sat and looked back at me.  I thought that was the end of it.

"Persistence"  should have been her name.  For the remainder of the evening -  everywhere I turned I saw that little cat.  She even found her way into the Executive Director's office.  I had no idea how she got into the building for the third time.  Louanne and David were loving every moment of this work experience.  "Persistence",  obviously had some help from her new friends.

It was nearly nine o'clock when we finished cleaning.  I had not seen the little cat for more than an hour so I assumed she was making her way to her next stop or home,  if she had one.

When I opened the van door there sat Persistence in the driver's seat -  all ready to go!  Louanne and David were delighted.  At that point I accepted that it was Providential for me to take Persistence home.  The "angels"  who helped the little cat into the van knew I had been considering adopting another cat,  a companion for my older cat,  Pennybaker.

Persistence later became Lydia Marbles.  "Lydia" for her beauty,  "Marbles" for her unique marbled coat.  After a few years,  Lydia developed a rare,  feline disability -  and would eventually lose over half of her left hind leg.  Her loss,  her disability only slowed her down;  she could no longer jump -  but kept on walking,  climbing steps and even running.  Amazingly,  this little three-legged cat never appeared to know "what she couldn't do".  Although the Veterinarian told me that Lydia would only live for months,  perhaps a year -  "Persistence" lived a very full life for 7  years.  She died in 1999,  I still miss her.

The "Little Christmas" cat taught me a great lesson regarding losses,  disabilities,  courage and persistence.  For many of the courageous people that I serve with special needs,  sometimes the best kind of help,  advocacy ---  is just to get out of the way.

"Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others."    Winston Churchill   1874 - 1965

Christopher Wm. Newman,  January  6,  2013,  Feast Day of the Epiphany