A Fading Friend

 

Wally the Cat, pictured in his sweater in the left column of this blog, is fading. He's down to 7 pounds from 11, is mostly skin and bone, isn't moving around much (although he did come to see me when I entered the Hopetown house yesterday) and he's very ginger and slow moving. The vet believes it is liver cancer and he's basically got a few days, but that was a few days ago and he hung in through Christmas Day (thankfully).

Wally came to us as a stray, obviously dropped off at the neighbouring farm. He was our first long-haired cat. He was covered in cow manure and needed shorn to get rid of the tangles and caked on manure. But even on the first day, it was obvious he was a gentle soul; He got up that first day on my chest and I felt like I had a small furry soul-brother. I still do. He's been there when I've been jilted, depressed, suffering from loss and trauma. And the thought of losing him is a sad one indeed for all of us at the Barclay household.

Once can console oneself that he was given a good life, good care, and lots of love - all true. But that won't fill the void he'll leave when goes. When you sit and stroke him, you just feel the stress and hurt ebb away. He's that sort of an animal - one that helps you let go of your pains. Mom, Dad and I will all really miss him.

Christmas is a special time where we think of friends. I have so many I frequently can't see all of them as frequently as I want but they are all in my thoughts. I've had many furry ones over the years and Wally has been a true friend through thick and thin. The great blessing of my life are the wonderful people that have populated it and shared of their kind hearts with me. It's at times of great loss that we think of all the others we care about who remain and remember to tell them that we care about them and are grateful for them.

Well, if you are one of my friends, you should know that I am thinking of you, I am grateful for your friendship and I wish I could be better a friend than I am able to at times. I hope that our friendship continues for many, many years to come.