(While I realize memoriams would usually have somber photos in them, this is the most apt one. He fought for life at the beginning, and he fought off death for as long as possible at the end.)
“All [his] life in this world […] had only been the cover and the title page: now at last [he was] beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” – C.S. Lewis
In 2008, I was looking to get a companion for the cat I had adopted about a year earlier. Neither the shleter nor I knew the first “companion” had a terminal disease. I just chalked it up to his very long, very bushy tail caused things to get stuck in it (which I then cleaned out). So it was a huge surprise when I came home from working a Bears game and found him dead on the floor.
After I found him, the shelter owner came over to help clean up and take the body. She was very apologetic, and offered me first pick on kittens that had just come in once they were old enough. A few weeks later, she brought over the two “candidates” — brothers that someone had cruely attempted to drown by the side of the road.
Close to eighteen years later, I don’t remember exactly why I picked the one I did. But there was a reason. As thus Miles came into my life.
From that point, he was a companion and friend. Once I started in Adaptive sports in 2014, he was there to welcome me home from every race and race weekend. He helped me to work through some of the more challenging races that are chronicled in the blog. He did a lot more to help both me and the two “companions” he shared his life with (the first passed in May 2020), including sleeping with me.
About a week ago, that changed. While he was fine Monday morning, things went downhill very quickly. By Monday evening, he couldn’t stand; by Tuesday afternoon, he was gone. 🙁
Because he had been abused at such a young age, it took him until he was about twelve to come out when anyone else was here. That was even with seeing my parents constantly. Before he passed, he was able to say goodbye to them and his “sister”.
It has been a hard few days. As you can tell, he was a big part of my life for the last 17.75 years. While it hurts to lose him, I’m happy that it happened when burying him near the one that passed in 2020 was “easy”. I’m extremely grateful to my parents for taking so much time on Wednesday to help make that happen.
It will be hard coming home from the next race knowing that he’s not there to greet me and listen as I talk through it. But I will continue to move forward. I want to keep going and see where this athletic path that he and so many others have helped me to stay on goes.
RIP Miles. You were a special kitty. I will always remember you and love you so much.
