Friday, May 16, 2008

Loss


It's been a busy week, as the weeks after Mother's Day always are, it seems. Once graduation rolls around there are all kinds of things in the kids' lives--tests, parties, special assignments due--and in ours as well, as our friends all come out from under their busy semesters and want to get together, as do we. I also "went back to work," in a manner of speaking, this week, with two days of workshops to jumpstart a fall project. So there's been a lot going on, most of it fun.

But it was punctuated by sadness. Our beloved and beautiful cat, Anna, had been ailing for a while, and this week we finally let her go. We knew as of Monday that the end was near, and we said good-bye to her yesterday. This is the first pet I've lost in this way; only one of our childhood pets died when I was a child, and I was almost completely unaware of her passing. I'd left home by the time my own childhood cat, Misty, died. This is also the first time our kids have lost a pet, and it hit Mariah hard. She chose Anna from the Siamese rescue society eight years ago--or Anna chose her--and they had been companions ever since.

Today I see her food bowls and the hair that she shed on the couch and I expect to see her come around the corner, but she won't. She had a good life with us, but--as my mother said earlier today--there will always be a hole in our hearts for her.

4 comments:

FreshHell said...

Aw, how sad. We had to put our two to sleep a few years ago, within about a year's time. Both had kidney failure. It was very tough. I know what you're going through. It seems silly to grieve so much for a CAT but they are family. And your lap is empty and cold.

Lilian said...

Oh, I'm so sorry. Give Maria a hug for me. I think you're the third blogging friend who has recently lost, or is about to loose a beloved cat. Our day will come too. Blues is 7 years old and I hope he can still be with us for many years, but one never knows...

kate said...

Oh, dear. I'm sorry to hear this. Hugs!

Magpie said...

Aw, kitty.

We had two cats for a long time. The second one died in my arms - the vet made a house call.

And, periodically, I STILL find cat hair, though it's been SIX years.

I'm sorry about your cat.