Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Self Of Itself Is Insufficient

I'd like to thank all of you for all of the good thoughts and wishes, the cards, e mail, e cards, and calls that you have made on our behalf. I cannot tell you how good and important it is to heard from friends, and to realize that you really aren't alone when your personal World is upside down and senseless.

Relationships ends by either choice or death. We cannot, and should not live alone. We derive too much quality from others, particularly animals, who are so loving and giving. Life would be barren without these relationships, yet we know that there will be horrible pain when they end.

If you scratch a pessimist, you will find an optimist. who else would care enough to do all of the existential work looking for an answer to questions that end so badly? It has been a terrible year. If you believe in God, you have to figure that God knows I can handle it better than others. Otherwise, I wouldn't have burdened this way. It's out of the story of Job, who had it much, much worse than me. I am not complaining. If you don't believe, than you can take my nephew Jake's point of view which was, "it am what it am" a sort of poetic jab at simply accepting things for what they are.

I have found that my best defense is a positive mental attitude. I learned this from reading CMHL when she published a lot, something I hope resumes one day. So I am remembering that she did wait for me to get home from the hospital, and I am remembering her as a kitten jumping seven (7) feet straight up into the air and snatching a moth from the air, and then not knowing what to do with it, and getting that "oh dear" look on her face. I am remembering her giving me head butts, and racing through the house chasing a squirrel from one end of the house to the other, and beating him there. I am remembering her 'disappearing' one day and searching for her, and not being able to find her, and having her suddenly stand up at the top of a book case near the ceiling,....so I think I am the luckiest man alive. I lived with her for 18 years, I still live with Judy, and I have all of you for friends.

A good reason for a Gathering over Memorial Day 2008.

11 comments:

mist1 said...

Hold on to that moth memory. It's a good one.

Anonymous said...

I can barely make plans a week in advance, but I'm going to mark Memorial Day 2008 as a possibility.

Anonymous said...

It first I thought I read that I had jumped up 7 feet in the air & grabbed a moth. haha.

fantastic memories of a special cat..

and thank you for the "positive mental attitude" plug--- perhaps that is why I am such a posting slacker right now, I am much better at telling OTHERS to be positive than I am at actually BEING positive. hah..

keep writing about Holmes. I think you should tell the story of how she & watson came to be in your family.

Glamourpuss said...

Onward and upward.

Man, you rock.

Puss

Anonymous said...

A very good reason. Memories like that are great.

Wicked H said...

Wish I was as strong as you.

You make me proud!!

Crankster said...

Bagheera (the whiny black cat) and I loved this one. Thanks for reminding me to be thankful.

WanderingGirl said...

No man is an island!

Thanks for sharing the existential revelation. We'll all do well to keep it in the front of our heads!

Anonymous said...

Yep.

Odat said...

Amen!
Good to see you again!
Peace

Itsnopicknick said...

What would we be without great memories, great memories produced at great risk!?