thanks for picking me
My favorite story about Winston is also my first story about Winston. A friend I worked with at Penn State had two Siamese cats, and I’d long wanted one. So my friend (thanks Danna!) made some inquiries with her breeder and we found a private family locally who had recently bred their cat and I set up an appointment. I knew before going that 2 kittens were already promised to other families. It was a large litter, 6 to 8 kittens, as I recall. For days before the visit, I wondered how one goes about picking a kitten — they are all SO cute. When I arrived for my visit, I spoke briefly with the breeder, and she said the mama and kittens were all in the living room. It was a very big room, and the cats were all at the other end. And then it struck me. I sat down on the floor, right there on the opposite end of the room, and said something along the lines of “hi kitties — you are all so cute” and one kitten immediately came running over to check out the new guy in the room. My impromptu plan would have failed had this kitten been one of the two already spoken for, but fortunately that was not the case. And that’s how, instead of me picking a kitten, the kitten picked me. Thanks for picking me, Winston. You were a wonderful friend and companion for almost 18 years. You will be sorely missed.
Winston, whose already frail health declined sharply in recent weeks, died quickly, quietly, and very peacefully early this afternoon by euthanasic injection, with Ron and Marlin holding him until the end. We will plan a road trip soon to scatter his ashes.
PS: To friends and family who received our holiday letter this year, you might notice a discrepancy. Unable to find Winston’s early medical records for many months, I incorrectly calculated his birth year as 1986 instead of 1988, so he was not closing in on 20-years-old, as I noted in the letter. And if you knew me during that time, you’ll also understand why parts of the mid-late 1980s remains a bit hazy in my memory.
PPS: To blog readers … sorry to go silent for 3 months and return with such a maudlin entry. I’ve not only had a serious case of blog ennui, but also over the past couple months I’ve suffered more severe back problems that required two spinal injections earlier this month. I’m not yet entirely pain-free, but I am on the road to recovery. As for the blog, I’ll be back — perhaps sooner, perhaps later … but certainly after I find myself in a place with less pain, grief, and depression.
Private comments are welcome via e-mail to ron@leatheregg.com.