This is not the post I had planned for today, my birthday. But life happens and it also ends. Today news came that a long-time blogger’s rescue cat, Harrison, finally succumbed to a long illness.
Imagine this kitty waiting all day for his person to come home from work, hanging on long enough to get to the vet, and only there yielding to the inevitable, that the little fellow was finally dying.
His person had taken him in first as a foster, ten months ago, at a time, even then, when Harrison’s health was shaky. I smiled when the person posted the decision to keep Harrison, calling it a “Foster Failure.” As I commented then, “best failure I ever heard.”
In this terrible time, when a “yuge” portion of this country has apparently taken leave of its senses, let this be a call-out to those whose open-heartedness, decency, and generosity matter so much more.
At a time like this, the Buddhists point the way to the aspiration. Here is the Great Bell Chant from Thich Nhat Hanh.
catself 
Please convey our condolences to Harrison’s humans. These losses after only being able to give a kitty the love it deserves for a short amount of time can be the worst. May Harrison Rest in Peace. Happy Birthday. Our mom’s is Monday next week. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
May there be blessings for you on your birthday even surrounded by that sad news.
May his memory be for a blessing.
It’s always so painful when you read posts about pets that passed away.
Harrison was a beautiful little boy, he will be missed for sure.
What awful, awful news…I am so sorry catchatwithcarenandcody
So sad. 😦 But at least Harrison was deeply loved in his last months.
Harrison will be missed. And Happy birthday!
I follow Three Cat Yard and they both tried so hard to get healthy. His final illness puts one in mind of Tennessee Williams’ poem in the Night of the Iguana–“How Calmly Does the Olive Branch”.