Blondie's Legacy

[blondiegrl211]

A note beforehand: I am an aspiring writer so yes I hope to craft this into a book.


We moved into our home Dec. 2005 and in January a little cream colored puff ball started hanging around on our porch. She would sit on top of my son's bike and look into the windows as she mouthed a meow. When I went outside however, bam, she was gone. She was feral to say the least. I tried to pick her up and bring her into the house and she hissed, spat and did pretty much every other bodily function in and on my shirt so I let her go. Cleverly I figured since we had 2 other cats who's food was in the laundry room, I'd leave that window open enough for her to smell it and come in out of the cold which she did eventually. Little by little she crept into the dining room and up onto one of the chairs. She'd kind of cringe when anyone walked through the room, but I'd give her one small pet and tell her what a beautiful kitty she was. One day, I decided to try and pick her up, hoping she realized she could somewhat trust me. I held her very close and covered her with a blanket as we sat in "her" chair. I cooed and talked to her, calling her by the most logical name I could imagine: Blondie. In a short time, I took her into my room and did the same on my bed and it seemed after that she became "my girl"*

Seasons came and went and Blondie grew even more beautiful. Our tms, Gus and Cinnamon never gave her any flack, and when another male interloper arrived, he seemed to know she was the resident princess. Blondie never liked anyone but me. When my sons or visitors entered near her, bam, she was off to hide. She truly was my girl.

One autumn morning in 2007, I called and called her but she was nowhere to be found. I told myself something was wrong but then told myself no, I was just being paranoid. Well, my son and I left to go to the bank, I was driving. Three houses down, I stopped the car smack in the middle of the road. Blondie was on the sidewalk, stretched out and obviously not asleep. I went into a trance of sorts, I said to my son, "Look!" and got out, went to her and instantly fell apart. I have never, ever sobbed so hard. I had to pull her off the frosty sidewalk and into my arms. I held her, rocked her ..... I barely remember my son guiding us home and the neighbor asking if I was alright. "No my baby is dead!" I yelled with utter despair in my voice. My other son joined us in the back yard. God, it was a glorious autumn day. The sky was brilliant blue and the leaves... the leaves she loved to play in they were golden orange and that smell... so deep and sweet. They helped me bury her and I lay on the ground and cried and cried.

Finally my oldest son said mom, come on I want you to come with me. "Where on earth are we going?" I protested. He said to just get in the car and we wound up at a local floral shop. He said, "I want you to get some flower bulbs, and we can plant them with her - then in the spring, you can see them and you'll know she's in heaven." (cue me bawling at the florist!) So I got 5 hyacinth bulbs and planted them as I talked to her and cried myself dry.

We moved - well in truth, our lives rather fell apart as depression and hopelessness filled my days, both due to her passing and lack of income in a bleak midwest town. I vowed to myself however that wherever I lived at the date of her passing, I'd plant bulbs. That way, her beauty could live on. In 2008, I was schlepping at a half sleazy hotel in fact, almost homeless... and I planted Irises back by the pine trees. This year, I was living in my own apartment, miles away from the despair and drifting the past year had seen. I had a fussy landlord so I planted hyacinths indoors, and will wait for them to bloom in my new apartment in the spring.... which is ironically located above a flower shop.

Her story doesn't end there. This is hopefully going to be spun into a childrens book, where the child plants the flowers each year into his adulthood. As well, since I began going to the local animal rescue shelter, I've devised a plan to contact local nurseries and promote "Blooms for Blondie" - where for each (bulb type) sold, they will donate a portion of the purchase price to the shelter. And lastly, for their capital improvement board, I told them of the ideas I had for a larger, more visitor and cat friendly layout, and that for good reason, I'd love for it to be dubbed the Hyacinth House.
(Those of you who know the song by The Doors? It says, "What are they doing in the Hyacinth House... to please the lions there, this day?")

Now I've recently adopted 2 cats, a male Tommy and a female, Lilah... for nothing could fill the void that Blondie left, and I know she wanted me to be happy again, to stop crying so much for her and maybe to let her go over the bridge completely. I'm crying as I write this and will every time I hear the Temptations singing "My Girl", as I used to sing it to her. I loved Blondie more than anyone I've ever loved, human or otherwise. Now, I hope you love her a little bit too.

[Heidi n Q]

I love her, too. *sniffle*

[Leazie]

I love her, and you as well. Your son gets a special kind of love for understanding your grief, and giving you something to look forward to.

I have been through a somewhat similar journey where I went from almost homeless and desperate emotionally to being able to do more positive things in life. Your idea for Hyacinth House is so wonderful, and a real tribute to the extraordinary friend that you had in Blondie.

[blondiegrl211]

Originally Posted by Heidi n Q

I love her, too. *sniffle*

Heidi,

After reading your own tale of loss tonight here, I doubly thank you for taking time to read about Blondie. I just can't figure how anyone can say or feel "it's just a cat". My dad said that to me and I said, "It's funny you can say such a thing when I can recall as if it were yesterday how you suffered when Bitzi (his puppy pal) died." He never said it to me again. Anyhow, thought you might like to see this that I crafted after Blondie's passing.

[Heidi n Q]

Originally Posted by blondiegrl211

Heidi,
After reading your own tale of loss tonight here....

Me? Are you sure?
I haven't lost a kitty recently ... though I have lost plenty over the years and I ache with each of their losses ... yet I console myself with knowing what a great life I gave to my kitties.
Oh, I take that back, I recently lost a stray cat I had been feeding. He disappeared and has been gone too long for me to think he will be back. I didn't know him very well and have no closure, but again, I know I helped to better his life with my attention and food.

I remember when we (husband and I) lost the first cat of our marriage and my Sister made that insensitive comment: "It's just a cat!" Well, it was years later, when my Sister's dog died in a sudden and tragic accident. I of course called to share my condolences and she called me after some time had passed, saying she now understood that it is never "just" an animal.
While I was pleased she understood, I was sad she had to learn it in the most personal of ways.