Good-Bye Faithful Friend

Good-Bye My Faithful Friend...

I have to say that I miss her... I miss Pippi already and she only just departed us less than three hours ago. Actually, as I came down the stairs for the first time since she left us, I had Ian in tow as normal, and with my peripheral vision, I thought I saw Pippi on the couch, for which I was about to walk on over to shove her off as her old age had begun to make her one dirty little kitty. I quickly realized that it was just two stuffed animals that had made their way onto the couch. Pippi wasn't there and was never going to be there again.

It was sad. It hit me again as I tossed the stuffed creatures from my couch. Pippi loved me even when I did not always love her back. I thought about the countless times I would get to my side of the bed and Pippi would be on my side--my spot--dirtying up my side of the bed. And I would quickly shove her aside to nurse Ian or whatever. She would turn right back around wanting attention from me.

A year and a half ago, I was done with her I thought. Even called my mom once declaring that I hated Pippi and was done with her. Scot heard this quite often from me as well. While Skye was very sick and when we had H1N1 in the house and me being pregnant with Ian, Pippi was just something else I would have to clean up after, as she was experiencing health problems which included vomiting and diarrhea that I would have to clean up quite often. I was spent and when it came to Pippi, I had nothing left to give and she did not receive much attention from me.

Recently, I began to sit down and pet her more and more. And when she vomited at the most inconvenient times, I didn't yell in frustration anymore. I just would clean it up and almost smile. I think I began to realize how faithful of a friend she had been to me. She was there in bed with me when I was sick with pneumonia. She had been one of the first signs with each of my pregnancies that I was indeed pregnant. She would curl up beside my belly in such a loving way, that when she would do it I knew before I used the pregnancy test, especially when pregnant with Paisley and Ian after experiencing this... wow... just thought I heard the pit patter of her little paws just now. Anyways... after witnessing how Pippi was with Skye's pregnancy I knew what to expect when I saw Pippi's behavior later on. Also, on countless occasions that cat would come right up to me and nuzzle her head against mine when I was bawling my eyes out--true little friend she was to me. She was there for me even when I wasn't for her. Kind of like how God is there for us even when sometimes I could understand why He might just want to abandon the relationship with us and our faithless selves.

Today was a bad day on so many levels. I won't bore you with all the details but it was bad day. Part of it was that we got word the day before that Pippi was fighting 2 chronic diseases for which there wasn't much to be done. My day was doing the usual with a few hiccups in the way and me trying to love on Pippi when I could. I was working on a project for VBS that definitely was not going well by my standards which was really throwing a wrench into things. Anyways... I looked at the clock after finishing some homework with Skye when I realized that it was now or never time to get Pippi outside to enjoy the weather and sunshine. As I got her outside, I realized that Ian had one of the biggest diaper blow-outs he has had in a long time. Mind you, I have been suffering from the worst sinus infection I have ever had. My head has been feeling like it was going to explode right off of my body! And crying with this infection was to a whole new level of pain esp. when merely breathing would make my whole face and neck hurt. Anyways... needless to say my sense of smell has been gone and I have now realized how my sense of smell is an important part of 'mom hood' as dirty diapers is not so easily recognized with out the gift of smell!

Anyways, I left Skye to watch Pippi outside and I told her where Pippi wasn't allowed to journey and if Pippi headed that way to yell. Well, as I was cleaning up this massive poop explosion and watching the minutes tick tocking away for Pippi, I was on the phone with Scot while holding Ian who was finally cleaned up but had only got as far as a clean diaper on when Skye shouted to me that Pippi had gone for the 'forbidden place'--under our neighbor's deck that only had one little opening to fit a small animal. I left Ian at the sliding glass door in his diaper playing with the shades and ran for Pippi, but I missed her. Her tail slipped through my fingers as she journeyed under the neighbor's deck. I ran inside and grabbed tuna for fear that she would curl up under the deck out of my grasp and die; and we would have to take apart my neighbor's deck to retrieve her. Can you imagine the conversation with my neighbor if that were to happen? "Hello, my cat just crawled up and died under your back deck and we need to take it apart to retrieve her." Instead, she came out just in time for me to send her on her way to be put down at 4:30 PM. That thought made my heart sank. My last few minutes with Pippi didn't go the way I wanted them to go. Anyways... I did manage to sit with her for a few minutes to say my last good-byes to my old faithful friend. I told her I loved her and I gave her kisses.

The evening ended with Paisley choking. As I was getting Skye ready for Kid's Club and I was in a daze, I noticed Paisley was choking. I looked at her hand where I saw half of a lollipop had been bitten off and was missing. Scot and I ran over, and Scot performed the Heimlich. Paisley's okay but my heart didn't stop beating like crazy for quite some time after. Not sure why I have mentioned this other than to tell you things were mounting today and just to let you know where we are today.

So now I have to get it together and take Ian to his renal scan tomorrow. He has a cold and some sinus problems going on but after speaking with the nurse from our urologist earlier today, Ian is still going to have his renal scan performed tomorrow. We just have to make sure he drinks even more than he usually does before the scan.

This is where we are at this evening. March has not gotten off to a great start by any stretch of the imagination. We are all sad, on edge and we are missing our dear old friend, Pippi, tonight.

I wish I could cry and have my faithful friend just near by nudging her head against mine and placing her paw on my hand tonight... But here is a difference between earthly relationships and my relationship with God, He is, and will always be, at my side...