My beloved husband died after a long battle with lung cancer. We had three kitties at the time: Melody, his kitty, a long haired polydactyl; Grayce, who loves everyone but is quite shy, a dilute short haired calico polydactyl and Phreddie, our gregarious red point Siamese. Melody mourned loosing Ron as much as I did. She was inconsolable, as was I.
I was able to reach through my fog of grieve to realize that if we were going to live, I had to really work at helping Melody through her grief. We cried together, we slept together with his favorite shirt, she was on the shirt and I held on to both the shirt and her. Slowly, very slowly, she started accepting my love. It took a full two years for her to finally accept me as her "person". I know if Ron where to walk through the door, she would abandoned me in a heart beat to be with him.
I became homeless for about six months after my husband's death. There were several places I could go if I didn't have my kitties, but they are my reason for living and my comforters. We lived in an aged RV most of that time. I now live in a very tiny apartment and it is all right because I have my Melody, Grayce and Phreddie, my three little fur loves. They help me get through everything.
SONORA, CA
