Monday, July 13, 2009

Saying Goodbye

We picked a nice shady spot under our red bud tree to bury Mikey's ashes and some of his favorite things.

It felt a bit strange to bury an indoor kitty somewhere outside. We couldn't even say "Oh, Mikey would have loved this spot." Nope. Mikey would have been scared to death of the leaves and the grass and the traffic, not to mention the rain or other animals! But scattering his ashes in his favorite spot (our bed, specifically Alan's side of the bed) wouldn't have worked too well...

These are the things we picked out for Mikey:
  • A cardboard shoebox, one that he had already chewed on, as a matter of fact.
  • Alan's running shoes -- Whenever we walked in the house wearing shoes with mesh over the toes, Mikey would come scratch at them.
  • Photos of us and of Sydney.
  • A small rolling pin -- When Mikey and Sydney were very tiny, they would shimmy up under the toe kick in the kitchen cabinets and crawl into the bottom drawer to sleep next to the rolling pin.
  • A piece of spline (the string thing that you stuff into a screen door to hold the screen in) -- It was a favorite toy, back when he and Sydney could be bothered to chase things we dangled in front of them.
  • The small pink thing is a little toy laptop because Mikey (like most cats, probably!) always wanted to lay on our laptops to "help" us type. The invention of the touch pad mouse made it way easier for him to mess up our documents (or games of solitaire).
  • An email Alan's dad Jerry sent when Mikey died -- Jerry lived with the cats during the year we were in Palau, and he has a special place in his heart for them (and they for him!).
  • A can of his favorite "scoobie snacks."

We also got a copy of this photo framed to put in Cooper's room:

And we gave Cooper a stuffed kitty to represent Mikey:

Goodbye, Little Friend.

3 comments:

The Hudson-Vadnais' said...

There is something important and tender about the intersection of the lives of our now elderly animals (our first 'babies') and our new little people. We got our dog about the same time you got your kitties, and there is a way that these animals have been a witness to our "growing up" into "grown-upness" and have been by our sides through our transformations from impetuous grad students to hopeful young couples to fledgling familes (not to mention the moves and all the different haircuts).

That my dog, and your Mikey, is a connection to all that I started out to be and all that I am in my adult life is more profound than it would first seem. For our little ones, these silent and ever slower witnesses have always been there--and were their first teachers on how to be gentle, how all living things need love and food and water everyday, and how there is nothing nicer than a lap of furry to run your fingers through.

God speed to your first baby, your infallibly constant roommate, and Cooper's professor for all good things wise and small. I understand what it is that you have lost.

Love,
MAH

Anonymous said...

What a touching goodbye to Mikey! And what a wonderful sentiment by MAH. I should not have read this at work - tears flowing!
Aunt Jill

karen said...

Seeing the little box of Mikey's favorite items made me cry, and then again when I saw the picture of him with Cooper. I'm so sorry for your family. He was a beautiful cat and a cherished friend.