2009 Can Bite My Ass
Yes, it's already been that kind of year.
Noelle, one of our cats, has been missing since last Tuesday night. I was the one who let her out, and I was the one who forgot her, so she spent the entire night outside. The next morning, when I was hysterical and running all over the yard, I found tufts and wisps of her fur on the grass behind the house. No blood, no limp body (God, no) at the edge of the woods. Friends keep telling me to stay optimistic, that she might have gotten spooked by the loud dogs next door and is hiding, or she's gone on a short vacation, or any number of reasons that don't involve her not ever coming back. My gut tells me otherwise. Today, I cleaned out her litter box and left it bare. In a day or two, when I think I can handle doing it without howling, I'll put it away along with her water and food bowls.
Go hug your cats. Do it now. They will protest, but do it anyway.
-*-*-
On Thursday, I had to say good-bye to a coworker who is also a friend. He's leaving for Iraq tomorrow for a one-year deployment. He has a wife and a little girl and two rather demented dogs and a bunch of people at work who think he's the bee's knees. He's one of those guys who's a guy's guy without being a butthead about it, an Army reservist who knows how to do all those tough-guy Army things but who also delights in telling--and acting out--stories about his little girl. My other coworker and I have been in denial; we were convinced the deployment would be canceled. Instead, we had to face the inevitable and say good-bye to him. We all tried not to cry, but once Lisa lost it, well, all bets were off. I can't even imagine what his wife is going through today and what tomorrow will be like for her. He's told us all not to worry, that he'll be fine, but all I can imagine is...well, no. I can't imagine it, because I've never fought in a war, I've never been a door gunner in a helicopter, I've never faced death and destruction and hatred. I can't imagine it. I can only worry and try to hope.
Go hug your friends. Do it now. They might wonder what's up with you, but do it anyway.
Noelle, one of our cats, has been missing since last Tuesday night. I was the one who let her out, and I was the one who forgot her, so she spent the entire night outside. The next morning, when I was hysterical and running all over the yard, I found tufts and wisps of her fur on the grass behind the house. No blood, no limp body (God, no) at the edge of the woods. Friends keep telling me to stay optimistic, that she might have gotten spooked by the loud dogs next door and is hiding, or she's gone on a short vacation, or any number of reasons that don't involve her not ever coming back. My gut tells me otherwise. Today, I cleaned out her litter box and left it bare. In a day or two, when I think I can handle doing it without howling, I'll put it away along with her water and food bowls.
Go hug your cats. Do it now. They will protest, but do it anyway.
-*-*-
On Thursday, I had to say good-bye to a coworker who is also a friend. He's leaving for Iraq tomorrow for a one-year deployment. He has a wife and a little girl and two rather demented dogs and a bunch of people at work who think he's the bee's knees. He's one of those guys who's a guy's guy without being a butthead about it, an Army reservist who knows how to do all those tough-guy Army things but who also delights in telling--and acting out--stories about his little girl. My other coworker and I have been in denial; we were convinced the deployment would be canceled. Instead, we had to face the inevitable and say good-bye to him. We all tried not to cry, but once Lisa lost it, well, all bets were off. I can't even imagine what his wife is going through today and what tomorrow will be like for her. He's told us all not to worry, that he'll be fine, but all I can imagine is...well, no. I can't imagine it, because I've never fought in a war, I've never been a door gunner in a helicopter, I've never faced death and destruction and hatred. I can't imagine it. I can only worry and try to hope.
Go hug your friends. Do it now. They might wonder what's up with you, but do it anyway.