Dolby died August 9th in Dan's arms after what was probably a long history of some sort of feline cancer, though we'll never know for sure. I was with the kids at our family cabin in Michigan at the time and it was very hard for Dan to be here alone and deal with the loss.
Dealing with the loss long-distance and having to tell the kids was no picnic either. But there was a moment of--I don't know, clarity? Comfort? Insight?--for me. I was walking from the living area into the kitchen and had a sudden thought: Dolby is an angel. He had always been and would always be a part of our divine family. It was odd how perfectly clear that thought was, but those things happen to me now and then and I accepted it. Miraculously, my grief vanished, and this story poured out into my journal out of love and celebration of Dan and Dolby, the best of friends.
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Dolby
Up to then, he had never much cared for cats. But his wife really wanted one. So he agreed.
After all, it would be her cat.
But Dolby had a way of getting into everything.
And it wasn’t long before Dolby got into the man’s heart.
They became the best of friends.
Dolby lived a long and happy life with the man and his family.
When Dolby died, the man buried him under his favorite window.
The man, too, lived a long and happy life.
Very early one morning, he slipped away.
He walked through fields and forests, by hills and streams.
He came to a meadow where young men and women were playing.
One of the youths spotted the man and immediately ran over and embraced him. “You’re here!” he cried joyfully.
“Do I know you?” asked the man, for the boy seemed very familiar to him.
“I’m an angel,” replied the youth. “But you called me ‘Dolby’.”
The man cried out in recognition and threw his arms around his best friend.
Then, realizing he was now as youthful as the others, the man ran off after his friend and joined in the game.
This story has given me a great deal of comfort since Dolby passed away. You have no idea how important this writing is to me.
ReplyDelete-Dan