Remembering Garfield - January 11

[ginny]

My Dear Sweet Garfy,

It happened 12 years ago yesterday at 3:30 am.  I will never forget it.  A part of me died with you.  

Months before I even knew you were sick, something weird kept happening which I still don't understand.  I kept seeing the numbers 111 everywhere - on license tags, billboards, telephone numbers, or my total $ due at the drive up, looking at the clock right at 1:11pm or am, etc, etc.  Everywhere, all the time. I'm not sure I understand even now, but those numbers - which had no meaning to me - haunted me and angered me every time they appeared, with perplexing frequency.  What did it mean?  I don't even believe in such things.  

Then I found that hard lump on your belly.  I hoped and prayed for a miracle.  How foolish of me.  You had surgery, prognosis was poor, but then you seemed to be on the mend.  I so hoped!  Maybe God heard my prayers?  There were ups and downs, but sadly I saw a gradual decline.  It was breaking my heart.  I hoped against hope that this wasn't happening, but I knew deep down I was on death watch.  Life was miserable.  Going to work was torture because I wanted to be home with you, but I had to work.

Then one evening in January 2004 at about 9pm, I came home from work and searched for you. When I found you hiding in your carrier, I knew this was it.  You were down to your final hours. 

It was then that it hit me - hard.....it was January 10, the last few hours of the day and would soon be 1/11.  Again, again, AGAIN!  I was angry and scared.  What did all this mean?  Why was this happening to me?  Before, those numbers were random and meaningless.  Now it had meaning.  

Several hours later, at 3:30am January 11 you passed away.  I raced to get you to the Emergency Vet, but I was too late.   

______________________________________________
 
Garfy, I'm so so sorry for all I did wrong.  Please forgive me!  I waited too long in hopes of a miracle that never came.  I believed there was a God who cared enough to intervene, foolishly, at your expense.  Now I have learned better.   Then, I wanted you to have every chance.  But it wasn't meant to be.  I had you for 10 1/2 years and, no, that was not long enough!  How could it ever be?

Rest in peace sweet boy.  I miss you so much!


5/8/1993 ~ 1/11/2004

GARFY!!.jpg

• ginny
• Oct 7, 2015

 

[nurseangel]

He was beautiful. 

 

[betsygee]

Oh, sweet boy.  I'm so sorry.  

 

[ginny]

Thank you!

 

[christfawk]

He is a beautiful boy, and I'm so glad after all this time you can remember him so fondly. It may be painful, but it means that he took that much of your heart, that you were so fortunate to know such a lovely creature.

I'm so sorry for you loss.

 

[ginny]

Thank you, @Christfawk!  Garfy was really sweet and insatiably curious.  He never hissed once nor growled, and he loved everybody (except for my sister who hates cats, lol).  People and animals alike.  

 

[christfawk]

 
Thank you, @Christfawk!  Garfy was really sweet and insatiably curious.  He never hissed once nor growled, and he loved everybody (except for my sister who hates cats, lol).  People and animals alike.  

Oh, that's so sweet! I wish I could say my cats have never hissed, but my Dubs thought that your shoes were the enemy. He looks a great deal like a cat that comes to the shop I work at named Vito, and he's also a good boy with a very loving family.

 

[ginny]

 
Oh, that's so sweet! I wish I could say my cats have never hissed, but my Dubs thought that your shoes were the enemy. He looks a great deal like a cat that comes to the shop I work at named Vito, and he's also a good boy with a very loving family.

LOL that's too cute!  So Dubs would attack your feet while you walked?  I have a few kitties now who have a shoe fetish.  They sleep by my shoes.  

Garfy's brother Sammy was his alter ego.  Complete opposites in just about every way.  Sammy was solid black, aloof, but still sweet, as all Persians are.  He had a little anger management problem especially when he got hungry, and he would let me know it too!  They made a good pair.  

 

[christfawk]

 
LOL that's too cute!  So Dubs would attack your feet while you walked?  I have a few kitties now who have a shoe fetish.  They sleep by my shoes.  

Garfy's brother Sammy was his alter ego.  Complete opposites in just about every way.  Sammy was solid black, aloof, but still sweet, as all Persians are.  He had a little anger management problem especially when he got hungry, and he would let me know it too!  They made a good pair.  

No, he was all talk and no action, he would just hiss and run away!

Oh, that's so awesome! I'm glad you had a dynamic duo. I wish my experiences with Persians in general were better, we have two that come to the shop that are so nasty they need to be sedated for grooming, and one of them ripped a large gash into my palm. I mean I don't blame them I just wish their owners went to a reputable breeder who normalized them to grooming.

 

[ginny]

 
No, he was all talk and no action, he would just hiss and run away!

Oh, that's so awesome! I'm glad you had a dynamic duo. I wish my experiences with Persians in general were better, we have two that come to the shop that are so nasty they need to be sedated for grooming, and one of them ripped a large gash into my palm. I mean I don't blame them I just wish their owners went to a reputable breeder who normalized them to grooming.

Oh dear!  I bet Dubs hated your closet then!  That's too funny.  A cute memory of him  Kitties have very individual personalities, don't they?  Garfy was a sweetheart for the groomer, but Sammy not so much.  He would hiss and threaten to bite, but he never would.  He was more scared of people than Garfy and preferred only nice quiet places, and lots of food. 

Ouch!  Your poor hand!!  I think maybe most Persians are a lot like Sammy who would have scratched if threatened and bitten if he needed to too.  But I knew he was being that way because he didn't trust people like Garfy did.  

 

[kittens mom]

Once a cat has their claws in our hearts they never let go. I remember all the little semi feral and feral cats that I was never able to do a thing for but offer some of the cheapest cat food I could find and that put a strain on our own grocery budget. Little lost souls but I kept them fed.

Garfield was beautiful. And your love in the post a tribute to why we all love our cats so much. Thank you for sharing.

 

[di and bob]

12 years later and you mourn the loss of someone who meant so much to you, it breaks my heart to hear of such a great loss. By now you know that the bond you shared will never be taken from you, not even death can break something so strong. Although time softens the agony we go through at the beginning, it only takes a thought or a memory to bring back the pain of a broken heart. Garfield only wanted one thing, to be loved by you, and this he definitely had. He returned that love and taught you how to love, what a wonderful legacy he left you! Let your memories comfort you, try not to dwell on the end. We all feel guilt for all those should haves, could haves, because it is a part of the grieving process. But I know the ones we loved so much would never want us to be so sad when we think of them, it's not in their make up to hold blame, only to love us. We should remember them with joy, they brought us so much, the pain we are going through now is nothing compared to the happiness they brought into our lives. To love so much means to grieve even more when they leave us, but it is worth the price to have known them, they brought so much to our lives and homes. Garfield was your soul mate, he will always be a part of you even though his physical presence is gone, the 'essence' of him will be forever enter-twined with yours. Think of him and feel the love that he still gives you, he will continue to rest in peace knowing he is securely held in a heart that loves him so very much. Take care......  

 

[ginny]

 
Once a cat has their claws in our hearts they never let go. I remember all the little semi feral and feral cats that I was never able to do a thing for but offer some of the cheapest cat food I could find and that put a strain on our own grocery budget. Little lost souls but I kept them fed.

Garfield was beautiful. And your love in the post a tribute to why we all love our cats so much. Thank you for sharing.

I always want to feed them too!  They come to me because they see that rather large S on my forehead I guess.  But I can't stand to see an animal that's hungry.  I think there's enough money and resources in the whole world for no one to go hungry, people or animals.  

I am reminded of a comparison of heaven and hell.  In hell, the multitudes sit around a huge delicious pot of stew, but they are all starving to death because they only have long-handled spoons, which they can't get to their mouths.  

In heaven, same scenario, multitudes sitting around the stew, same long-handled spoons which they can't get to their own mouths, but the difference is they are all well-fed and robust....because they are feeding each other.  Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world like that?

Thank you for your thoughts and for feeding other little souls.  They appreciate it.  

 

[ginny]

 
12 years later and you mourn the loss of someone who meant so much to you, it breaks my heart to hear of such a great loss. By now you know that the bond you shared will never be taken from you, not even death can break something so strong. Although time softens the agony we go through at the beginning, it only takes a thought or a memory to bring back the pain of a broken heart. Garfield only wanted one thing, to be loved by you, and this he definitely had. He returned that love and taught you how to love, what a wonderful legacy he left you! Let your memories comfort you, try not to dwell on the end. We all feel guilt for all those should haves, could haves, because it is a part of the grieving process. But I know the ones we loved so much would never want us to be so sad when we think of them, it's not in their make up to hold blame, only to love us. We should remember them with joy, they brought us so much, the pain we are going through now is nothing compared to the happiness they brought into our lives. To love so much means to grieve even more when they leave us, but it is worth the price to have known them, they brought so much to our lives and homes. Garfield was your soul mate, he will always be a part of you even though his physical presence is gone, the 'essence' of him will be forever enter-twined with yours. Think of him and feel the love that he still gives you, he will continue to rest in peace knowing he is securely held in a heart that loves him so very much. Take care......  

Thank you @Di and Bob.  I appreciate your kind thoughts and words.  I do remember the good, about half the time.  I don't think I'll ever be at peace with the way he died.  And that annoying 111 thing.  It still angers me and I don't even believe in numerology or whatever it was.  It felt like I was being haunted.  

 

[zed xyzed]

Jinny I am sorry that you still are pained, it is obvious that he was special to you and loved. Maybe when you are in a better place you can tell us about Garfield and you in happier times. I would love to hear about the sweet boy