| Usually by the time we reach adulthood most of us | | | | And a few months after my grandmother died I had |
| have experienced a terrible loss; someone we've | | | | another transforming experience. When I was little |
| known and cared for has died, many of us have | | | | my best friend had Maine Coon cats. I always |
| gone through divorce, or some unforeseen | | | | wanted one of these huge, personable, fluffy |
| circumstance puts us in touch with a multitude of | | | | characters, but over the many years I've adopted |
| feelings associated with the severing of emotional | | | | cats, none of them happened to be Maine Coon. |
| ties and deep connections. | | | | Shortly before my grandmother died I had to put our |
| And during these times it feels like we are buried | | | | seventeen year old cat to sleep; which was heart |
| alive, motionless under the collapsed structure of our | | | | splitting. My grandmother's death was imminent, we |
| devastated personal lives. Then out of the blue as if | | | | lived on opposite coasts, and our mama cat was |
| ordained, something positive happens which seems to | | | | holding on to her life by threads. Sometimes misery |
| reignite our life force. | | | | comes in waves... |
| These times remind me of the Phoenix Rising legend; | | | | A few weeks later, I went to our vet's office to |
| the majestic bird that burns to ashes and is reborn | | | | pick up Isa's; our cat's ashes. In the waiting room |
| out of them... Are you a Harry Potter fan? | | | | there was a cage with three kittens. I hadn't planned |
| There is a wonderful visual image of Fawkes the | | | | on getting another cat. I needed time to mourn the |
| Phoenix, incinerating and being reborn out of the | | | | loss of our old friend and we were also going east to |
| ashes on YouTube. Look for it on the internet. | | | | visit our family. |
| I lost one of my dearest aunt's two years ago. She | | | | I opened the cage feeling dismayed about my |
| was like a second mother to me. Shortly after she | | | | grandmother and the loss of our cat. I reached for |
| died I looked over at a mirror she gave me and said | | | | one of the tiny black kittens and scooped him up into |
| out loud, "I really miss you. I don't know how I will go | | | | my arms. He crawled up my arm and nestled into my |
| on without you". All of a sudden my television turned | | | | shoulder. Chewing on my hair, he started to purr. |
| on! I called to my children to see if the downstairs | | | | I just couldn't resist! There was just something about |
| television had also turned on. It hadn't... What and | | | | this kitten that made him irresistible. He was so silly |
| how did that happen? It was truly bizarre and still | | | | looking; tiny body, rat tail, and had huge Mickey |
| remains a mystery to me today. | | | | Mouse paws because he has 6 toes. I named him |
| Have you had bizarre things happen shortly after | | | | Phoenix in honor of the legend and Isa who was also |
| someone you've known well, passes away? I felt like | | | | black. Phoenix is now 5 years old. |
| she was in my room. I could almost feel her | | | | He is a huge and adorable Maine Coon cat!... |
| presence. My sorrow lifted immediately. | | | | |