Summer Solstice Blessings - of the furry kind.

The Queen of the Underworld works in mysterious ways sometimes.  Some things happened over the last few days that made me extremely aware of her presence, as if I wasn't already.  Others might attribute it to other things, or deities, but I like the warm feeling that it gives me to think of it as Persephone. 

It started with some sadness. At the end of 2009, my best friend shared with me that her dog had passed away at home.  Kody was a big red Chow and he was old, but I had been there from the beginning.  I was a senior at Western Michigan University and met Jill there. We became very fast friends and spent a lot of time together.  Then one day, she became the proud owner of little Kody.  I went to her house to meet him and he was such an adorable little ball of orange fluff.  He looked like a furry little bear cub.  I watched Kody grow up.  When Jill moved to Illinois, I would visit her and Kody.  When she moved back to Michigan, I was one of her default Kody-sitters.  He would come stay at our house if Jill went on vacation.  I have a lot of great memories of Kody.  One time, when he was staying with us, he and I got back from a walk and Matt was napping on the couch. Kody walked right over to him and started licking his face with his big purple tongue, waking him up.  He was the sweetest, and laziest, Chow ever.

Then, Matt and I adopted Piglet - 9 years ago.  When she was 8 months old, we were going on week long vacation to Vegas and Jill offered to return the pet sitting favor for us.  I wouldn't say Piglet and Kody were "friends" but as you can see from the photos, they did all right together. 

I was very sad when I got the news that Kody died last year.  I really loved that dog and I really miss him. 

Then in February of this year, my friend Carl McColman was faced with the difficult decision at the end of his 20 year old cat, China's, life.  Carl blogged about the experience and his feelings in great detail, and with much more eloquence than I could recreate here.  Out of the four cats in the McColman household, China was my personal favorite.  She was sweet and friendly with an adorable "Purrt".  I loved her coloring most of all.  She was actually the same color as my Piglet, but because Piglet is furless her coloring appears as blotches on her wrinkly skin.  China's lush black, orange and white coat is what I would imagine Piglet to look like with fur.

Then, just after Beltane, Matt and his brother made their epic pilgrimage out to Nevada for their cousin's memorial service.  I blogged about that too, because I had a real hard time dealing with it.  Matt's brother, though, had a harder time when he got the news while he was gone that his old dog, Otis, had to be put to sleep. 

But then, just like in the myth of Persephone, life is a cycle.  The cycle of birth, death and rebirth.  We all know, as pet owners, that our pets are not likely to outlive us so we are all faced with the eventual loss of a dear furry friend.  The greatest gift, and the greatest memorial, a person can give in honor of their lost companion is the gift of adopting another animal. Another animal that needs a good home. 

And just like that, the solstice bloomed with new animals ever where I looked. Animals all with very literary names, I might add.  

First, Jill shares a photo of their new puppy, Gryphon.  He is only 4 weeks old now, so he can't come home for another month, but I am already smitten. 

Then Matt's brother announces their newest addition, Veruca - a lab/shar pei mix!  She looks like quite a handful.  And I am certain she has Jim wrapped around her paw by now.

And then today I was introduced to Margery, the newest kitten addition to the McColman family.

 

I know one day, I'll lose Piglet.  And I will be devastated.  But I will be comforted to know that Persephone will never have a more loyal companion as she takes up residence with the Queen of the Dead.  And I know that there will be another little hairless cat in my future who needs someone to love them.  And the blessings of life just keep going.