Saying Good-bye

This may seem like an odd post for Thanksgiving Day, but in part it is a rememberance of things and people for which I am, or have been grateful.

Buddy (April 1994 - August 2007)

Buddy was our first cat. He was named Buddy because of his heritage - he was a "Newfie". He was Mr. Me's birthday gift in July 1994 and he was with us until October 2000 when we moved back into an apartment in Halifax. At that point he acquired a "new" home with our next door neighbours who loved and spoiled him beautifully. He had a good life. In late August, he became ill and so as not to have him suffer, he was euthanized. It was a difficult decision for Crystal, but it was for the best. He is buried in our lilac patch.

Gord (September 1962 - June 2007)

I had known Gord for a long time. The last time that I saw him in person was 13 years ago today, at my wedding. And although I hadn't spoken to him in a while, that doesn't make me miss him any less. I had been thinking about him a lot over the past few months. After finally tracking down a friend of his who was an acquaintance of mine, I discovered in September that he had passed away in June. I wished that I had tried harder to find him earlier. I don't think that I could have changed his fate, but I would have liked to have spoken to him one last time.

I'm thankful for the joy that Buddy brought to our lives, and to the lives of our neighbours. Buddy will always be with us in our hearts, and Older Son will think of Buddy every time he looks in the mirror. Buddy used one of his nine lives the day that he scratched Older Son's 8 month old face...

I am thankful to have known Gord. At times him and I were very close, at others not so close. I regret that it was distance that characterized the last 5 years or so. He was in a new relationship and the distance grew. His death was in some way related to the dissolution of that relationship and I regret that the distance meant that I wasn't there for him. I supported him through some tough times, as he had done for me. There are some periods of my life where I would have been considerably more lost without him.

Be thankful for the people and creatures that you hold dear. Be thankful for the blessings in your lives. I know that I don't always express how much I cherish my friends and family, and although I don't live in the lap of luxury, in the greater context of the world, I have plenty to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.