Patterns Change Us and We Change Them

Sometimes we realize a need to change a pattern and sometimes it's more abrupt, changing us. Curry, our 16 year-old calico and sister to Olive, was both to my family in the last few months...

Curry's a meow-er and not the cute sounding kind. In the last few years it has ranged from startling 3:30AM wake-up calls to grating on my wife and I before we have had a cup of coffee and tea in the morning. To soften the impact, we adapted. We closed the doors to the upstairs at night during the winter months and in the morning regularly refreshed water and food while the whole family buzzed around getting ready for the day. It seemed to do the trick.

Then, in late March this year, during a Curry morning "meow" session, my wife sat down on the couch with her tea and asked compassionately, "What's up, Curry?" From there, Curry trotted over, jumped up on her lap, and was silent. The next day it was my turn. Annoying "meow", I filled my mug, called for Curry as I walked out the backdoor, found a spot in the sun, kicked my feet up, pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head, and there came Curry. She jumped up on my lap.

See. Our family was no longer rushing around to get out of the house. Curry was experiencing a new pattern where we all got a clue.

Morning, noon, and night there has been a lot of lap-sitting and need-meeting until...this morning...sigh...Curry passed away last night.

The waves of sadness, care, and love have been swirling ever since we learned of her passing. We have been so grateful for the pattern change with her and are so distraught about the change that has happened to us. We've learned and grown these last months and this morning. We will continue to for patterns will be and will keep a-changin'.