I know that, as mortals, we aren't meant to know why some of us pass away far too early. However, that's not stopping me from wondering why my former co-worker and friend to animals, Maggie, was taken from this life at age 31.
Since hearing that terrible news this morning, I've thought a lot about Maggie's kindness toward animals. We didn't talk much about music at work, but I suspect she would have appreciated the sentiments in Garrison Keillor's "Cats May Safely Sleep." Set to the melody of J.S. Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze," Keillor's vocals show a reverence toward cats that mirrored Maggie's outlook toward cats and dogs. Once, when she worked the shift before mine, her husband, Dinko, brought their two dogs to the office. Upon seeing the smaller dog, Milo, she exclaimed, "My dearest!!!!" It was the most enthused I'd ever seen anyone become upon seeing a beloved pet unexpectedly.
Maggie, Dinko, and I exchanged many photos of our pets through email. One of my favorite tongue-in-cheek picture captions of Maggie's is, "The stresses of work have taken over Cleo." In the photo, Cleo the cat sleeps blissfully in a chair.
Maggie's heartfelt sympathy when my previous cat, Sylvia, passed away in 2019 still moves me deeply. She wrote, "Words can not even express how sorry I am for your loss. We know how much Sylvia meant to you and know life will not be the same without her. Pets are not just pets...They are companions and mean more to us than I can express. My heart breaks for your loss. May her afterlife be filled with multiple faucets! I look forward to hearing news of a new cat in your life, one that is ready to go on a lifelong journey with you! May your future cat possess some of Sylvia's best traits!"
I wholeheartedly agree with Maggie's assessments and like to imagine Sylvia having long, satisfying drinks of water from heavenly faucets.
Shortly after I adopted my current cat, Maggie texted, "Please send Collette pictures!!!!" Upon receiving my two photos of Collette, she replied, "Drew, I am beyond thrilled to hear from you. I have been
checking my email obsessively since yesterday!!!! Oh my gosh, she is a
gorgeous girl!!! I am glad she is reminding you of the great qualities
of Sylvia...I'm so happy for you, Drew!!!" I could not have asked for a more enthusiastic, encouraging reaction.
Whenever I hear of admirable people passing away, I always pray that they'll be reunited with their cherished people and pets. I certainly wish that for Maggie--and everyone else.
