I know, some of you may have heard the title of this story before, but that's a different story than I'm about to tell you.

It started very inauspiciously in a town in Oregon. The exact location isn't important.

On this day, in an alley next to the garbage cans outside the back door to a Chinese restaurant, a mother cat gave birth to a litter of kittens. Their birth wasn't heralded. In fact, it wasn't even noticed. The stray had been hanging out near the alley for a few weeks recognizing that the increase in her belly was going to produce more than a continuing stomachache.

That morning, she had found a stack of cardboard next to a discarded produce box that provided a little cushion from the asphalt of the alley. The produce box was nominal shelter from the rain that occasioned the area during the season. Fortuitous? Yes, and comforting as the morning progressed and her labor resulted in four small kittens, one by one.

After her babies were born, she attempted to feed them with the little nourishment that her body held. Food was scarce and her scrounging in the city streets had typically produced little more than enough sustenance for her own life. But, once a week usually at the end of the weekend she would find more discarded food as restaurants dumped the remainder from the Sunday's lunch and dinner traffic.

Oh, it wasn't easy for her. Often, she would have to fight a stray dog or other animal for the best morsels, but she was wiry and fast and a claw here or a teeth-bared snarl there would usually discourage her competitors from the small amount of available scraps they all desired.

In the week after the litter was born, a restaurant employee discovered the babies and left the cardboard and box in the alley for the little family, occasionally even providing chicken or fish morsels from the kitchen. The mother's milk was enough nourishment for almost all of the kittens, but one very small one struggled and eventually succumbed to its frailties. The three remaining babies had enough food from mama to keep growing and then, one day, after they were several weeks old, one of the restaurant staff decided to take two of them home to raise as pets.

This left the last little kitten alone with her mom, and the bond between them grew strong. When the kitten was strong enough to walk and then later run it was able to go on foraging jaunts with its mom, generally at night when they were safe from the predators that prowled the streets of the town.

About five months after the kitten's birth, on one night's prowl, mom and her young one heard a snarl from the shadows of an alley as they walked past. That was soon followed by a loud bark and then the charging of a large dog coming straight out of the alley toward them.

Mama cat turned to face the dog with flashing eyes and teeth bared, ready to defend her and her kitten. The resulting battle was like a prize fight with the canine and feline circling each other with guttural sounds and feints with paws and claws.

The mother cat struck first as the dog moved in to attach, bringing one slashing claw straight across the dog's nose and eliciting a sharp yelp of pain. Undaunted the larger animal recovered quickly and charged the adult cat knocking it over and biting one of its hind legs. It was a small bite, but it was felt, nonetheless.

The two animals circled, warning each other that they were fearless and should not be messed with. The kitten watched the continuing melee in the safety of the shadows of a nearby garbage can, with wide eyes and a feeling of uncertainty.

In two more feints by the dog, momma was bit again, this time in the stomach, and seeing that she had drawn the larger animal away from her kitten she ran away. Unfortunately, she ran into the street right in the path of a car and was killed under a tire in the next moment.

The dog, seeing the accident and realizing that the fight was over, retreated to the other end of the alley, a ways down the street.

The kitten wasn't sure why mama didn't return to get her after the dog's retreat, but decided to stay near the garbage cans for safety's sake.

She woke up the next morning, sleeping on the ground and hungry, looking around for her mother, not knowing that a pedestrian had seen the fallen animal and carried her lifeless body from the street to a garbage can. All the kitten knew was that her mother was gone and was nowhere to be seen.

The cardboard and the box where she was born and raised was nearby and she returned to it in hopes there would be food to eat. She was hungry and as luck would have it there was some food that had been left by the kitchen staff. She ate it quickly and drank some water from a nearby puddle to slake her thirst, but neither filled the empty feeling in her heart at the sudden sense that her mother was not with her anymore.

Days and weeks went by, and the kitten grew in size and strength thanks to the foraging skills that her mother had taught her and the occasional food left by the restaurant kitchen staff. She was lonely, but it was not the worst. At the very least she wasn't starving and through the days she was learning what she needed to do to survive in the world.

And then Thursday happened.

It started out as a pretty typical day. She woke up hungry, left her cardboard shelter to find food, ate a little, drank some water from the street, stretched, ran along the sidewalk looking for more and then almost bumped into the leg of a man sitting on the sidewalk.

At the last second, she saw the leg and jumped around it, only to get snared by the man's gnarly hand. She struggled to get free and was tempted to try her claws on him, but he held her gently and firmly and she sensed that she would not be able to wriggle free.

So, she relaxed and waited for the moment when he would loosen his grip on her and she could get loose and run back to whatever freedom she knew.

"Where are you going, little one?" the man asked, with the typical human attitude of expecting that an animal could understand him and answer.

"You don't look like you have a home. Here's a little slice of bread. Would you like it?" he said as he held out a small piece of crust in his free hand.

Curious, she sniffed at the bread and then realizing that it wasn't a threat and smelled like food, she took a small nibble.

"Um, that tasted okay," she thought and then took another bite.

The man released his grip on the kitten as she leaned forward and ate more of the crust.

"Do you have a place to live, little one? You sure look like you could use more food, and maybe even a friend," he asked.

Not understanding, after she had eaten most of the crust the kitten jumped from his lap and ran towards the alley and cardboard that she knew as home. That night, as she curled up on her cardboard, she thought about her encounter with a human, the first she had with anyone other than the kitchen staff, and she wondered about it.

The next day she stayed close to home, unsure if she should go outside of her safe area to forage for food. It was a Monday and the food was plentiful from the weekend's dinner leftovers at the restaurant. No need to tempt fate and go out into the danger zone, she thought.

But, the following day, Tuesday, she woke up hungry and needing to eat. Crawling off of her cardboard, she foraged as her mom had taught her, eventually finding some bits of food to eat and water to drink.

Walking slowly back to her alley, she spotted the man sitting on the sidewalk. He had a small sign, which being a cat, she couldn't read, but it was cardboard and in her short experience cardboard was generally a good thing.

He, in turn, noticed the kitten standing a distance away, and called to her to come to him, holding out a small piece of meat from the sandwich he was eating.

The kitten was still a bit wary of people, but she slowly walked toward him until she could see what he was holding. He slowly pulled the meat from the sandwich and tossed the meat toward her, just a few feet away.

The kitten questioned for a split moment, and then feeling the hunger in her belly, slowly walked closer to him until she reached the meat. It smelled good. Lick, lick. She grabbed it. It had a good taste, too. And then moving safely away, she gobbled it up.

The man held out his hand with a small piece of bread and she warily made her way back closer to him until he moved his hand to the opposite side of his legs. It was a moment of indecision for her. To get to the bread she would have to walk over his outstretched legs. She remembered that she had been near his legs just a day or two before, and that turned out okay, so she slowly crawled up to his first leg and stretched as far as she could toward the bread. But it was just out of reach. Okay, let's try this, she thought, and she crawled up on his leg and was finally able to get to the bread. It tasted good and the man made no move to harm her so she ate it quickly and jumped down.

"Hey, little kitty, I was hoping you'd come back," he said. "You look like you don't have a home or friends. That's my life, too. Maybe we could be friends."

She surely didn't understand what he was saying, but he said it softly and in a pleasant voice and whatever he said didn't seem to be threatening.

So, she sat on his lap after finishing the bread, warmed by his legs and stretching out after feeling satisfied with the food.

She was shocked when the man reached out with his hand and touched her gently, and then rubbed her back, petting her carefully.

It was the first human touch she had ever experienced. "That didn't feel bad," she thought, "but if he makes a sudden move or tries to get a grip on me, I'm outta here."

He didn't do either, and for the next hour she sat on his lap, warmed by his legs and the spring sun, feeling uneasily good about his gentle petting.

After two hours, she jumped down and returned to her old home. As she entered "her" alley she noticed that something was different. The garbage cans had been moved and her cardboard box and bed was no longer there.

Confused, she searched the alley but there wasn't any other cardboard to be seen. "What had happened to the only home she had ever known?" she questioned.

Now, not only confused but conflicted, she walked back to the street where the old man had been stretched out and was somewhat relieved to see that he was still there.

As she approached him, he said, "So, you decided I'm not so bad after all, huh? Wanna stay with me for a while?"

As if in answer, she crawled into his lap and fell asleep, somewhat scared but comforted by the fact that this large creature was the only other thing she had found that did not seem to be dangerous and might even protect her.

Over the next couple of days, the old man shared his meager meals which the cat ate quickly, to the mixed reactions of the man, who knew it was all he had and sharing it meant he had less to eat, yet this little companion somehow seemed to be worth his personal sacrifice.

As the days rolled by, man and cat became friends and eventually, somewhat fixtures on the street together. The few locals that dropped a dollar or two in the man's hat noticed the cat with him and began offering more food, money and even cat food to the man, who accepted it gratefully.

The two compatriots, male homo sapien and female feline, grew to become inseparable. Where the man went, the cat followed. Where the man slept, the cat curled up next to him. Their friendship became the only constant for either of them, the one thing they counted on - true companions.

Then one Wednesday, as the weather was turning cold, a young man walking along the street noticed the man and his cat sitting on the sidewalk and stopped for a moment.

"Say, old timer, what's your name?" he asked as he handed a fiver to the man. It wasn't a throw away question. He had accompanied it with a warm smile and a welcome bit of currency so he deserved an answer.

"Name's Hank, friend. And thank you very much for the cash," Hank replied.

"You look like you could use a hand up, buddy, do you happen to be a veteran?"

To which Hank smiled wistfully and said, "Yeah, I served ten years."

"What branch, sir? And where did you serve?"

"The U.S. Army, 1st Armored Division. Served all over. Last duty station was in Iraq when we chased old Saddam out."

"You put in ten years? Why did you get out, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I came down sick from the smoke of the oil fields burning, and when I rotated out I was laid up for almost a year at Beaumont hospital at Fort Bliss. They tried to figure out what was wrong, but I was finally medically discharged. They never said what I had, but I couldn't work or do nothing but sit on the street and hope for the best."

The young man continued, "Please forgive me for asking personal questions. I was curious because I volunteer at a veteran's shelter. Suppose I was able to get you a place there, get you off of the street?"

"Well, that would be kind of you, but I don't expect no handout. I found construction work for a while after I got out, but my legs finally gave out on me, just wouldn't hold me up for very long, and I finally just took to the streets. Family doesn't want to hear from me. Guess I'm kind of a burden. Veterans Admin lost my paperwork and so here I am. Thank you for the nice offer, but I couldn't go anyplace without my little Magnifi-cat here."

"That's a cute name for your friend. Let's see what I can do, Hank. My name's Will. I'll check back with you soon."

Friday morning, Will drove up to the curb where Hank and his cat were sitting. He parked his van and walked over to Hank.

"Hey, good news, Hank. I got a place for you at the Vet's shelter and they said you could even bring your cat with you. They serve three meals every day and my friend is a counselor there. She said she would look into your disability pay. No promises, but it's getting cold out and you and your little partner might appreciate a warm place, warm bed and some steady food. What do you say?"

Hank's eyes moistened as he stared back at this guy who was just a stranger on the street two days ago. He couldn't remember the guy's name, so he just said, "That sounds real good. My legs have been aching in this weather and my partner here does her best to keep me warm, but she's a little small to be much of a heater."

Will helped Hank up and Hank got into the passenger side of the van carrying his cat.

"What did you say your cat's name was?" Will asked. "Magnifi-cat," was the answer with no explanation. Will thought to himself, a guy could name his pet all kinds of names but that one was sure different.

A short drive later they pulled up to a white, wood frame building, parked the van, and Will helped Hank out and into the "Veteran's Home." The sign had the word "Home" in it. Hank had called the streets his home for so long he had trouble at first recognizing the word.

Inside, Will introduced him to Jenn, a short, dark-haired lady with a pleasant smile, who said, "You must be Hank."

"Yes, Ma'am. That's what they call me, so guess that's who I am," he smiled back.

"Well, we'll get you situated here and then we can talk about your disability and other benefits. We're not affiliated with the military, so there's no hierarchy here. No need to salute, or say Yes, sir or Yes, ma'am. Your room is down this hall. Just make yourself at home. Will even brought a little bed for your cat so she'll be next to your bed."

Hank looked at Will with wide eyes. "You did that for me?" he said.

"Hank, you served our country honorably and you deserve to be treated like the hero that you are. Our town created this place just for vets like you."

Jenn walked Hank, clutching his cat, to his room and showed him where he would be living. "The bathroom's behind this door," she pointed to a door, "It's not big but it does have a shower and a sink and toilet. In the cabinet behind the mirror are shaving supplies, soap, a comb, toothbrush and toothpaste. In the cabinet below, fresh towels that get replaced twice a week. Let me know if you need anything else and I'll make sure you get it. Are you on any medication that we need to secure for you?"

"I was, but that was years ago, the last time I saw a doctor," he replied.

"Well, no problem. We take a trip twice a month to the military hospital in Roseburg and we'll make sure you get seen by a doctor. We'll be going next week and I'll get you on the van. You can't take your cat with you, but don't worry, we'll take good care of her while you're gone. She's now a resident in this home, too."

Hank shook his head in disbelief. He never expected anything like this. His future looked like he would live on the streets until his last breath and while that didn't bother him much, he didn't want to think of what might happen to his little Magnifi-cat.

Over the next several weeks, Hank started to come out of whatever state of mind he was in. Mixed up, messed up, down and out, but now, within two months, after his new medicine was helping him stand and walk straight again, Jenn took him to apply for a janitorial job at a local elementary school.

The secretary was nice, explained the job, and even though she didn't say much, Hank was hired and started work the following Monday. 8 am was a little early for him, but he was there on time and Magnifi-cat rode in a sling pouch tied around his waist, sleeping in the pouch for most of the day. He lowered her down for some food and water a few times during the day and took her outside to go potty but other than that, she was totally content. She had her companion and that was enough.

For Hank, the work was easy and he liked working with kids.

He had never married nor had any kids of his own, but he always liked their carefree approach to life, something he remembered fondly about his own childhood.

After 3 months at the school, Hank and Magnifi-cat had become favorites of the faculty and Principal.

Jenn helped Hank move out of the Veterans Home and into a small room in an apartment building where he could have a measure of independence. They've earned this, she thought, with Hank's work. Magnifi-cat, for her part, had been winning over the affections of both kids and staff.

Between Hank's disability pay and the small salary at the school he was soon able to buy a small tv and get his little companion some better food. This independence meant the world to Hank and he expressed his gratitude and affection on his feline companion - his one true companion.

Magnifi-cat for her part, went with him to work, always riding in the little sling pouch on Hank's tummy. The kids loved seeing the two of them dry mopping the halls or cleaning the interior windows. Hank worked and Magnifi-cat supervised. Sort of.

At night, Hank and his closest friend watched a little tv in his room as they ate their dinner, him a cheeseburger or occasional soup and sandwich, and her with the best kibbles and wet cat food that Hank could buy. Every evening, they loved to watch animal and nature shows because they showed a different world than they each knew on the streets, helping to overwrite their own bad memories with better ones, and leaving them feeling happier.

The two cohabitants were learning life lessons together. Hank learned to trust other people again, just as his Magnifi-cat had learned to trust him. He learned that he could be self-reliant again, supporting himself and his feline companion. Magnifi-cat in turn, had learned through her experience of life with Hank that her friend would never knowingly put her in danger, and would always protect her.

Slowly, the demons of war and memories of inescapable horror in Hank's mind faded as did his companion's memories of its "only the toughest survive" childhood.

In time, Hank began to smile at every student, laughing with them, telling jokes and letting them play with his Magnifi-cat. As the school year progressed, Hank became a favorite of the kids, a friendly grandpa-like man that usually said a joke or something funny, and who smiled at them. He gave special attention to kids that looked like they didn't fit in or were struggling in some way, letting them play with his cat while saying things to them, like "You're a winner, did you know that?" "Your smile tells the world that you are a hero." "Thank you for being so nice to my cat. You're going to grow up to be a great person." "I believe in you and even when you think no one else does, don't forget that I believe in you."

As fall slid into winter and the days became shorter, Mrs. Harms, the school principal, spotted Hank in the hallway after the last bell and impulsively asked him a question.

"Hank, would you be willing to speak to the students at our school's holiday assembly? Every year just before the Christmas break we gather everyone together in the auditorium to celebrate finishing the first part of the school year. It's a short event and we end with music and wishes for a wonderful holiday break."

Evelyn Harms had been thinking about Hank since a month after he started at Valley Elementary and in that moment when she approached him she explained that it would help so many kids if he would share his story as an example of how the spirit of hope and happiness could be felt year-round.

Hearing her words, Hank instantly felt awkward. He didn't know how to react to her question, and he surely felt that his life, with its ups and downs, wasn't much of an inspiration, a reaction that he quickly shared with Mrs. Harms.

Evelyn grabbed his hand in hers, looked in his eyes and said, "Hank, I was a little reluctant when Jenn told me that she had someone for the custodial position. But when I finally met you I could see that you had an open look in your eyes, willing to share who you were, a man trying to be kind to everyone. That meant something to me because that's exactly what the kids here are hopefully learning. We want them to learn who they are and how to be okay with that. This is the formative part of their life that helps shape them for the rest of their life and they can be defeated by it, accept it or learn how to grow beyond it."

"I've watched your encouragement to kids, and I can see that you care about them. So, I think you have a lot to share with our students and I really hope you'll be willing to do that."

Hank instinctively dropped his head, drew in his breath and thought for a minute. He had not heard anyone say nice words to him like that for a long time.

In fact, in his mind he argued with the feelings of "not worthy" and "I'm not worth it," before thinking that he really shouldn't pass this up. His final argument to himself was, "how many times do you get to feel like your life has meaning... specially if it hasn't meant much in the past?"

After those few moments of indecision, he looked up and quietly accepted.

The days passed and finally, it was the day of the assembly. Hank had already cleaned the bathrooms and was working on emptying trash when school started. Students went to their first two hours of class and at the buzzer, teachers led their classes to the auditorium. It was an old building and the big wooden doors on either side, leading to aisles down the rows of seats, were usually locked, but now were held open with black rubber wedges at the bottom.

The big room slowly filled with kids talking and throwing spitballs at each other. Then the noisy room gradually fell quiet when Mrs. Harms stepped to the microphone in the middle of the stage and tapped on it a few times. With a festive voice, she talked about the upcoming holiday break. As she finished she called up a fourth grader to the microphone to sing a song of holiday cheer. He was a popular kid, and the assembled kids clapped when he finished, his best friends yelling "Dude!"

Mrs. Harms stepped back to the microphone, thanked the student, and then shared her surprise. "Does everyone here know Hank, our wonderful custodian?" Several kids yelled, "Yeah," "Hank is cool" and almost half the kids raised their hands.

Sitting on the stage amidst the holiday decorations Hank felt awkward and uncomfortable, but during his moments of doubt or uncertainty he stroked his Magnif-cat, the cat the principal had graciously agreed could accompany him on stage.

Petting his best friend calmed his pounding heart.

"Hank has been our custodian for four months so far," Principal Harms continued. "And we hope he will be with us for many years to come."

"But, did you know that Hank is a war veteran? Some of you know a little about Hank's life but there are some very important lessons that we all can benefit from. Hank, please come up and share with us."

Hank stood and walked slowly up to the podium, holding his furry companion to his chest.

He began by telling the story of his childhood, then schooling, his service in Iraq, and the circumstances that led him to become a street person.

He described his despondency and how he struggled, feeling that his life had no meaning. He told the kids that he believed he had no future, until one day a little kitten walked into his life. That began to slowly change his perception. After that, he gradually came out of his loneliness and feeling of loss and depression thanks to his little companion, the only friend that didn't judge him and only wanted love in return. As he told the story about his life and the lessons he learned, he repeated that this little cat was the miracle that he needed.

"She saved my life, of that I am sure. When I got to know her and realized how I was changing because of her, I gave her the name Magnifi-cat. You know, it was the first word I thought of. If you ever heard the story of the real Magnificat you know that it's a song sung by a young women, barely out of childhood. It was a song that was a promise from God.

"I know that Magnifi-cat saved my life," he said as he stroked the back of the cat now sitting atop the podium. As his stroke reached her tail, she arched her back and tail in response.

"She came into my life like a promise, and she has done that very well. Thanks to her and what she taught me, I'm able to stand in front of you today and share my story.

"I learned from her that no matter what you're facing, no matter what challenges or difficulties you are dealing with, you should look for your own personal "magnifi-cat."

"It may be a person, might be a family member, a friend, or like with me, maybe an animal. But I believe that one exists for everyone, and especially you.

"Don't let anyone or anything discourage you or hold you back. Know that you are important, and you can and will become a person that changes the world for good.

"Look what happened to my life as a result of something as small as a kitten. This little magnifi-cat turned my life around.

"So, find your own magnifi-cat, whatever and whoever that is.

"This one lesson rewarded me more than I could ever imagine. So, please look for your own magnifi-cat and don't get impatient. Here is my promise to you, if you don't find one, you can count on me. I will be your magnifi-cat.

After a pause, just for a moment Hank choked up, and thinking back over his last several years, with moist eyes, he finished with, "Thank you to every one of you for accepting this old man and making me feel like I had something to contribute to life. You all helped me regain my dignity. May you always find yours."

With that, Hank picked up Magnifi-cat and returned to his chair. The big room was quiet. Then one young boy stood up and started clapping, soon another kid, and more until the room was filled with kids and faculty standing and applauding for a man and his cat. It was a moment that none of them would forget.

There is no record of what became of Hank, his Magnifi-cat, or the kids at the school. But there is no doubt that for at least that one moment, in that school auditorium, everyone felt in their heart that their world was a better place.