This type of post never gets easier to write, but that's appropriate, under the circumstances.
My brother's cat, Nemo, passed away today. The rest of our family didn't know Nemo as well as my brother did. We knew him well enough, however, to value him as a unique, independent-minded cat we'll never forget.
Memories of the fighter in Nemo bring to mind a particular Isley Brothers song. Contrasting memories of him staring transfixed at lighted candles on a birthday cake remind me of Fleetwood Mac's subtle, album-closing mood piece, "Caught In The Rain."
Recollections of Nemo looking out at the sun from my brother's condo make me think of Michael Gulezian's guitar piece, "Sunrise Over Lock & Dam 5a." The piece, like Nemo, comes across as somewhat guarded, at first. As the piece builds, much like a sunrise, however, and the strings start to swell, it's gripping to hear in its entirety. It captures the breathtaking nature of a sunrise and the gravity of each sunrise's uniqueness.
As an intelligent cat, I imagine that Nemo would have appreciated Gulezian's "Sunrise..." Also, as my brother's cat, I'm sure he heard some fine jazz. I suspect that the piano and trumpet elegance of a Sean Jones Quartet tune, such as "We'll Meet Under The Stars," would have gone over well with him as he sat on the couch or looked out the window.
To anyone who is mourning the loss of a pet: Although it's said that "time heals all wounds," I think a more accurate phrasing is, "In time, you come to terms with some wounds." Patty Griffin captures this feeling in her sparse, passionately sung tune, "You'll Remember." Its acoustic bass underscoring makes her lyrics resonate all the more.
