I miss my Friend

I don’t really know how to write this. I’d planned to write a post on what animals can teach us based on a great email I got. And then my best animal friend died.

Bubba was my favorite; I won’t try to pretend otherwise. He shared my pillow (often completely stole it), comforted me when I was sick or sad, waited in the window for me to get home, and stayed up until I went to bed, often reminding me how late it was getting. My neighbor called him a puma and joked we should have a permit. Darryl called both of them dogs, saying they were too cool to be cats. I called him Handsome a lot, with his big blue eyes. My massive Siamese, who wasn’t old or sick, was found dead in our garage last night. An hour earlier he’d been lounging in front of our TV. We don’t know what took him, but we’re speculating about a heart attack or a black widow. There’s nothing poisonous in there for him to accidentally eat. So we cried like school children, held each other, and buried him in the back yard. Honey’s never had a pet long enough for it to die on him; he was pretty upset. I broke down again after work today – there are too many big empty places where he should be. His sister, Bebe is taking it fairly well. She’s lying on the computer desk in front of my monitor right now so she can be with. She’s more of an internal-emotion type cat; never seems to care about much, but if her brother got locked outside she’d let me know.

So then there was one. It’s brutal to say, but I wish it was the other one.

So the animal lessons are as follows:

Live simply.

Love generously...

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!