Love in a time of corona

In response to Mikey Dred's suggestion to write about vocal social pets!

March 6th, 2019.

My adorably grumpy, hilariously cantankerous Facebook find, Bagheera, died in my arms on the cold tiled floor of the kitchen. His little cherished heart had failed; He had only been with me for three years, but in that short time, he gave me a lifetime of memories. His paw in mine as we slept, four in the bed. Me, poured like liquid between outstretched fur balls, lulled to sleep by the lullaby of content.

I was beside myself. He was the first feline family member I had ever lost. I was broken.

I wrapped him in a blanket and put him in his cat carrier before sobbing my way to school.

Being a small school, it didn't take long for news to travel; to be fair, I looked like an extra in a zombie movie with a hangover who hadn’t slept for a week. I should have stayed at home, I guess, but it just didn't occur to me. I was auto-piloting. By first break, I had managed to calm myself down enough to begin worrying about how to deal with, you know. I mean what do you do? Where? How?

Two students from my tutor group, Andrej and Simon - the bro-mance of the century - wanted to talk to me. Quiet, unassuming boys - thoughtful in class. But funny and endearing. I was a little reluctant to leave the confines of my office. Not sure I could hold the tears long enough to manage a conversation. But I swallowed them and went to see what they needed.

What happened next was one of the most beautiful and human things I have ever witnessed The kind of thing that changes your life forever.

They wanted to bury my Bagheera for because they thought it might be too difficult for me and also, so, that he would be next to a field of sunflowers every summer. They knew a place they said. If it was Ok with me they would like to do it for me.

Tears born from sadness, hope, and overwhelming humility have a distinct taste, different from any other tears. And, so that afternoon those two young boys came to my house as promised. They took him to his field and even made him a little cross to mark his spot; sending me a photo just so that I would know where he was.

Fast forward a year later… The most Thoughtfully... Thoughtless thing happened

The height of the pandemic and we were stuck behind computer screens, Teams-ing and Zooming and just somehow trying to keep it all together. My birthday was the last thing on my mind. It’s not like we could go anywhere anyway.

My doorbell rang - could I come down because they had a surprise? I was in my pajamas! Or at least the bottom half of me was, like the rest of the world at that time. I rushed around, grabbed a mask and went downstairs.

Outside, my entire class had masked themselves up, distanced themselves, and were singing happy birthday.

Relief. Gratitude. Surprise rooting my feet to the floor. Initially, I couldn’t move. It was an absolute joy to see them.

But there's more. Meet Poe (she's like a raven).

Yes, my birthday present from my class. She came in a little box, wearing a teeny red ribbon.

Of course, I was giddy in love the moment I opened the lid. But, you see my point. Thoughtfully... Thoughtless.

With two cats in a one-room apartment and the memory of my beautiful black cat, Bagheera less than a year gone, it wasn't the ideal surprise. But still, how could you not be filled with gratitude and love for these kids who wanted to do something special?

And, Poe is special. She's a whole world of trouble and her zoomies leave no ornament left standing but every time we snuggle, I think of my kids and their thoughtlessly, thoughtful gift that I hope will be with me for a very long time.

Whenever I am mumbling about the overall shittiness of human beings, I look at my Poe and know with absolute clarity that there is good in the world.