Some Things You Expect, Some Things You Don’t
Also, some fluffy headbutts
I’ve just let go of my cat, my fluffybutt, my queen, Malka. It was time. She was tiny — 5.8 lbs. and sick — but still such a love bug.
As painful as loosing Malka has been, it’s a personal pain, and a natural one. There are only two possible outcomes when you adopt a pet. You know it going in.
What you can’t know going in is that, just a year after visiting Yellowstone, the entire park will shut down due to violent, catastrophic flooding. I guess that’s what gives increasingly extreme weather it’s terror. Who knows what location will be struck next — a beloved park? Your next vacation spot? Your childhood hometown? And who knows when, and by what.
I can’t do justice to what’s going on in Yellowstone and Montana except to recommend that you take a moment to read Chris La Tray’s excellent newsletter on the topic — he’s on the ground, he knows this land and its people, and he also provides links to reputable aid organizations if you find yourself with a little extra scratch lying around.
I’m going to watch some moths tonight with friend & reader Jennifer M. I don’t know if I’ll be up for writing about them this weekend or not — maybe I’ll just post a few moth pics? But I’ll be thinking of you, and sending warmest fluffybutt cuddles your way, because even in the summer, even when you’re drenched in sweat, I can’t explain it, those fluffy little headbutts felt good, and I suspect we could all use more of them.
Having pets and losing them teaches us to 'let go.' They do that for us, becasue there is so much letting go to be done, and we need help.
Sorry for you loss, Hannah, (& for the floods and fires and countries gone rogue). I hope it comforts you to be gifted with the ability to observe and say just enough, so well.
So sorry for you. It's never easy ... but if it was, what would that say about us? Hang in there.