A Tribute For Samantha

Saturday evening, on the way to the vet's, our very elderly (21-22 years old, give or take) kitty Samantha passed away in the car while I was driving.  We had been hoping there was some way we could make her more comfortable; keep her with us a while longer, but Samantha took the decision out of our hands.

Sammy was a very sweet cat, albeit with an unfortunate tendancy to bite if she felt threatened at all.  She did not feel threatened by either of us, however, and had very much become one of our "baby cats."  Despite her advanced age, her "long run," we miss her sorely.  Her funny squeaky mew, her sweet looks when we brought her a special treat, her "urr-r-r-r!" of greeting when we would stop to pet her during the course of the day; she was so much a part of our daily lives, and now the house feels very empty without her furry presence and unique animality mingling with our minutes, hours, and days.

Many tears have been shed in her honor with many more to come.  Wednesday my significant other will try to get to the vet to pick up Samantha's ashes and bring her home where she will wait, with others of our family of felines we have had to also part from, until we will all once again be reunited in kind, in death, in one final resting place together.

I am sure it sounds at least mildly ridiculous to those who have had children of their own, but our cats have been my children, never having been able to produce any of the human variety and now being bereft by surgery and nature of any possibility of ever doing so.  I have loved them dearly, and always will.  They have been the source of incredible amounts of love, friendship, affection, joy, frustration and aggravation - dry food urp on your bed is just NOT fun - hilarity, and as it is now, grief.  It does not matter that I know the brokenness I feel right now will come again and again because my babies do not live as long as I would wish them able to, I must, and will, continue to love and care.  Just as they have loved the love I have had to give to them, they have given so immeassurably to me, I have loved being loved by them as well.

Rest peacefully, my Samantha cat.  Know, absolutely, you are loved and missed by "Mommy-cat."  Know also that I look forward to the day I get to be with you again in an entirety not possible yet, but described so wonderfully by C.S. Lewis in his book "The Great Divorce."  When my (hopefully VERY long) time here on earth is done, I will see you in Heaven, my sweet, sweet friend. All of us will be together forever, never to be parted for any reason or in any way after that last meeting.  Go with God, dear Sammy.  You could not be in better hands than His.  I love you.