December 24, 2015: My cat, Sylvia, watching footage of my family's cats on a digital Christmas ornament.
November 24 isn't the easiest day for me. Three years ago, my cat, Sylvia, passed away. As much as her absence hurts, I'm so thankful for the time we had. I was pleased to discover a video of her I'd forgotten I'd recorded. On Christmas Eve 2015, Sylvia and I listened to Sandler & Young sing "Silver Bells." Sylvia pawed gently at the album cover, seemingly wanting to read the track listings. When the lyric, "Soon, it will be Christmas Day," came up, Sylvia looked up in wide-eyed wonder.
It wouldn't have surprised me if she'd started speaking English and asked me, "Is that right? Will it soon be Christmas Day?" Christmas, after all, is the season of miracles. Thanksgiving, meanwhile, is a holiday of gratitude--not only for the present, in my view, but also for those in one's past who made positive, heartwarming impressions. Sylvia certainly did that during her 11 years with me. As much as it hurts to be without her, I take comfort in believing that the afterlife gained a tabby with a kind heart, a loud, ready purr, and an appreciation for the idealism of Christmas music.
