In less than a year we lost three cats, Binky, Butter, then Betty. Sometimes it felt like too much to bear. As luck would have it we had Barney, an outdoor cat hanging around. Barney was here when we moved in and he came with our house. Barney has probably been suffering his own personal loss; someone left him here when they moved. Barney is a true manx cat and very independent but also friendlier than we thought he was. We're so fortunate to have him here; he is the new king of the house. A while ago we started letting him in the house a few minutes at a time to be sure he didn't "mark" his territory. As you can see he has made himself at home.
At first when Barney came in the house he looked and looked everywhere for Butter. He'd look behind the bed, then he'd look under the bed. He sniffed every piece of furniture and looked in every nook and cranny. Many times I had to open closet doors just to let him look around. Every day he'd come in and make his rounds looking and looking. Even though the two male cats didn't get along, looking back, I guess they were friends. I washed sheets and towels trying to rid the scent of Butter so Barney wouldn't look for him so much. It was so sad seeing him sniff everywhere around the house looking for Butter. His incessant looking brought up my own feelings of loss.
There's a lesson here for us humans. Perhaps you don't care for a neighbor, maybe you have a friend you can take or leave, possibly a relative or two. How do you think you'll feel when they're gone? You might miss them more than you thought you ever would. They might be more of a friend than you realize. Something to ponder; something to think about. I guess Barney is our new friend, someone for us to love and care for. Had another great day at the market today; I appreciate all my new pottery customers and collectors. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
