Losing a pet is a certain kind of grief I couldn’t have anticipated. It’s been 2 years since I lost my beautiful cat, Jimmy, and 3.5 years since our cat, Bug, passed. In that time it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions.
We had both cats since they were kittens: Bug was a 20th birthday present from my husband – adopted from a shelter at only 5 weeks – and a year later we took in Jimmy from a friend who’d rescued him from the side of a highway when he was just a few months old.
We had 18 wonderful years with Bug and 19 with Jimmy over the span of 20 total years. They lived full and rich lives with us.
In 2023 I made blocks for a quilt to honor them both and their immense role in my life up to that point. It was such a hard task to take on at the time. But, with Heidi Parks gentle guidance through her Love Letters quilt-a-long in 2023, I was able to create blocks which spoke of my love and loss along side of many others who were exploring their relationship with those they loved.
The creation of my love letter quilt was an act of mourning – a way to deal with the grief of losing the second of my two cats only a month earlier. My heartache and love for my beloved cats was translated into each quilt block, guided by Heidi’s thoughtful daily prompts. Each day I was able to do something meaningful and tangible to process my grief. I enlisted the aid of my daughter who drew a picture of the cats for me to translate with thread. I used pieces of a special cat blanket, a toy, and even depicted their favorite treats.
Thanks to the Love Letters class, I have learned that I am more capable of exploring my emotions both directly and abstractly when I am engaged in the act of quilting, appliqué, and embroidery. The entire process was very cathartic.
Now that some time has passed, I find I’m ready to renew my efforts to complete this quilt. I’ve found the perfect backing for the wall hanging quilt and a piece of drift wood from a nearby lake to hang it on. I think its time.
I sure do miss them both.
Cry The Bird 