what a totally unexpected and much appreciated kindness:
a sympathy card in the mail
signed by every person in my vet’s office
after helping my pet to pass on peacefully
on my last trip there.
—
“the whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness
of the interdependence of all these living beings,
which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”
-thomas merton
glenn frey the rocker, (r.i.p.) and the eagles returning for one of many expected encores. 
glenn frey the cat has returned for a very unexpected encore.
his doctor gave him a last minute reprieve
offered him another chance
with new protocols and fingers crossed.
it may not last long
he’s not in pain
and is purring again
so we’ll take it one encore at a time.
he and i were both equally surprised
olive took it all in stride.
glenn still has no idea how big he really is
the lumbering giant
thinks he’s a kitten
knocking over everything in his way
he’s lived at least 3 lives since i’ve known him
that means 6ish still to go
and he’s still not ready to leave the stage for good, just yet.
—
“the encore is the short piece after the program has finished,
where the performer brings out something the audience doesn’t expect.”
-hillary hahn
we spent our last day together
glenn frey the cat, not the rocker
olive the cat, not the oil
and me.
glenn has taken a turn for the worse
and is quickly slowing down
resting in his favorite place
with olive refusing to leave his side
the three of us
sit in the quiet
just breathing
looking out at the signs
of the seasons changing
taking in the breezes.
i think back to his multiple rescues
his funny, crazy ways
his very loud voice
how i often spelled his name wrong
how he acted tough at first
but was really such a gentle giant
how he tried to camouflage himself in the vines and flowers
how he welcomed another rescue, tiny olive
into our little family.
in the morning
there will be
just two of us left
when we return to this room
as we say farewell
to our sweet friend, glenn frey.
even the flowers are sad.
President Richard M. Nixon honors John McCain at the State Department
after McCain was released by the North Vietnamese in 1973
after more than five years as a prisoner of war.
(U.S. Navy)
—
RIP Senator John McCain
a maverick in the truest sense of the word
—
“I’ve tried to serve our country honorably. I’ve made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them. I’ve often observed that I am the luckiest person on Earth. I feel that way even now, as I prepare for the end of my life. I’ve loved my life, all of it. I’ve had experiences, adventures, friendships, enough for 10 satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life in good or bad times for the best day of anybody else’s.”
-John McCain – from a letter he left to be read upon his death
—
“a hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” bob dylan
—
image credit: washington post
aretha performs ‘spirit in the dark’ at the fillmore west – 1971
motown and the whole world will miss you.
—
image credit: natural learning
today our kinders
learned a beautiful lesson
about a lovely tradition
honoring those who we have loved and lost
and now continue to remember
on this very special holiday each year
and onward.
—
“the core belief of the Day of the Dead is so poetic and simple: as long as we remember those who have passed away, as long as we tell their stories, sing their songs, tell their jokes, cook their favorite meals, then they are with us, around us, and in our hearts.
-jorge r. guiterrez
The Art of the Book of Life, Introduction
(Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead)
—
this post is dedicated to little hazen
forever 5
who left us on this day
much loved
lost much too soon
and always remembered.
