Badger,
I got you on my 6th birthday.
That was 18 years ago.
I still remember going to get you.
Mom and Dad brought
along a cardboard box,
and I couldn’t figure out
what it was for.
I got to see your mother.
Are you with her now?
You were there
everyday to greet me
when I got home from school.
You slept with me every night.
You were there to listen
when I needed to talk.
You were there to show me
love when no words would do.
You were there when I met Stacy.
You were there when we had problems.
I left you when we married.
You were there everytime
I came to visit like I had never been gone.
You left left us 2 days ago,
just 2 days after
my 24th birthday.
I don’t think any loss
in my life has been this hard.
I wish I could have been there
with you so you would know
how much you mean to me.
I am so sorry I wasn’t there.
I hope you will remember me always.
I LOVE YOU LITTLE SISTER,
Scott
BADGER B. KITTY
YOU WERE SUCH A SMALL KITTY
WHEN WE FIRST PICKED YOU UP
ALMOST SO SMALL YOU WOULD FIT IN A CUP.
OH HOW YOU LOVED YOUR LITTLE BLACK STRING
AND RUNNING AROUND THE HOUSE
CHASING ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
YOUR PAWS SO WHITE AND YOUR NOSE SO PINK
OH HOW YOU LOVED GETTING
A DRINK OUT OF THE SINK.
I REMEMBER YOUR GREETING PURR
AS I CAME THROUGH THE DOOR
AND HOW YOU TOLD US TO GET YOU MORE FOOD
WHEN WE WENT TO THE STORE.
HOW YOU LOVED TO CRAWL UP INTO MY LAP
AND AS I RUBBED YOUR TUMMY
YOU WOULD TAKE A SHORT NAP.
HOW YOU LOVED TO HUNT, LOOK AND EXPLORE
AND SIT AND WATCH THE BUTTERFLIES SORE.
HAPPY USED TO HATE IT SO
WHEN YOU SAT IN HER CHAIR
SHE NEVER KNEW YOU WERE TREATING IT WITH CARE.
SHE WOULD CLEAN YOUR GRAY FUR FROM
ALL OVER THE HOUSE
BUT YOU MADE DARN SURE SHE NEVER
SEEN A MOUSE.
YOU MADE HER SCREAM SO WHEN YOU CLIMBED
THE CHRISTMAS TREE
AND WHEN SHE GOT AFTER YOU
OH HOW YOU DID FLEE.
YOU LISTENED AS I TALKED
TO EVERY LAST WORD
AND OH HOW YOU GOT EXCITED
WHEN YOU SAW A BIRD.
YOU USED TO SEARCH THE YARD
FOR THE PERFECT BLADE OF GRASS
AND WALKED AROUND WITH
SUCH DIGNITY, GRACE, AND CLASS.
WHILE YOU WERE INSIDE WITH ME
YOU KNEW NO FEAR
UNTIL EARLY ONE MORNING YOU CAME HOME
WITH A PIERCED EAR.
YOU LAID IN BED AT THE FOOT
EACH NIGHT FOR A NAP
IN MY HEART I KNEW YOU WERE
PROTECTING ME AND HAP.
YOU WERE ALWAYS SO HAPPY
TO SEE SCOTT COME HOME
BUT YOU NEVER FORGOT ME WHEN WE WERE ALONE.
I WOULD OPEN THE GARAGE DOOR TO LET YOU OUTSIDE
THIS ALWAYS MADE YOU FEEL
SO EXCITED AND ALIVE.
OH HOW YOU LOVED TO SHARPEN
YOUR CLAWS ON THE BRADFORD PEARS
AND WHEN HAPPY SAW YOU
HOW HER SCREAMS
WOULD RING THROUGH THE AIR.
YOU SEEMED TO LOVE THIS GAME
WITH HER YOU PLAYED.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME
YOU JUST RESTED IN THE SHADE.
I GREW TO LOVE YOU BADGER B, MY FRIEND
OF THIS I NEVER TRIED TO PRETEND.
I REMEMBER ALWAYS THE SOUND OF YOUR PURR
AND THE SOFT SILKNESS OF YOUR GRAY FUR.
I WOULD TELL YOU I LOVE YOU
AS YOU TOUCHED ME WITH YOUR LITTLE PINK NOSE AND THE LOOK IN YOUR EYES SEEMED TO SAY YES I KNOW.
I WILL MISS YOU ALWAYS
MY DEAR LITTLE CAT AND THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY OR ADD TO THAT IS GOODBYE MY WONDERFUL BADGER B. KITTY CAT.
By Dean
BADGER,
WE GOT YOU FOR MY SCOTT’S 6TH BIRTHDAY 18 YEARS AGO. YOU WERE SUCH A SMALL KITTEN. SCOTT LOVED YOU SO—DEAN AND I LOVED YOU TOO.
YOU WATCHED SCOTT GROW UP WITH ME. YOU SLEPT WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. WHEN HE WENT OFF TO COLLEGE, YOU SLEPT IN HIS BED WAITING FOR HIM SOMETIMES—THEN YOU BEGIN TO SLEEP AT THE FOOT OF THE BED WITH DEAN AND I.
YOU DID SO MANY THINGS OVER THE YEARS, IT WOULD BE HARD TO RECALL ALL OF THEM HERE IN THIS TRIBUTE. YOU WOULD SLEEP WITH SCOTT AND JEROME, BUT NOT WITH CHARLES AND SCOTT. SCOTT WOULD HOLD YOU IN HIS BED AS HE FELL ASLEEP. YOU GREETED US EACH DAY WHEN WE CAME HOME. YOU HAD A DIFFERENT MEOW FOR DIFFERENT REQUESTS. YOU HAD SO MANY FAVORITE PLACES TO REST
THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE.
EACH NIGHT YOU WOULD COME UP TO ME IN BED—JUST TO TELL ME THAT YOU WERE IN BED.
YOU WOULD TOUCH YOUR NOSE TO MY NOSE WHEN I NEEDED TO BE AWAKEN FOR ANY REASON..
EVERY SINGLE MORNING, YOU ASKED ME FOR A FRESH DRINK, OF COURSE, WHILE I WAS TRYING TO BRUSH MY TEETH AND WASH MY FACE. YOU DID NOT REALLY WANT TO DRINK—JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT
I LEFT YOU WATER.
YOU GOT UP WITH ME DURING THE NIGHT WHEN I HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND EACH MORNING, TOO. I STILL MISS HEARING THE SOUND OF YOUR SOFT PAWS AS THEY WALKED ON THE CARPET. I STILL MISS SEEING YOU AS YOU WOULD GET UP WITH ME.
YOU SAT WITH ME EVERY MORNING WATCHING ME GET READY FOR WORK,
YOU KNEW MY ROUTINE JUST PERFECT.
YOU SAT WITH ME TO WATCH TV—ONLY IF DEAN WAS NOT THERE. YOU ENJOYED LICKING MY ICE CREAM BOWL, TOO—IF DEAN DID NOT HAVE ONE TOO.
I THINK OF YOUR LAST DAY, HOW I CLEANED YOUR GRAY FUR FROM ALL OVER THE HOUSE, HOW YOU FOLLOWED ME, AND SAT WITH ME FROM EACH ROOM. YOU ALWAYS JUST WANTED TO BE WITH US. WE COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A MORE PERFECT CAT. YOU BROUGHT SUCH JOY INTO ALL OF OUR LIVES, EACH ONE OF US DIFFERENTLY. YOU WILL BE MISSED SO EACH DAY. THE HOUSE IS SO SAD WITHOUT YOU.
I HOPE THAT YOU KNEW HOW MUCH EACH
ONE OF US LOVED YOU.
Harriott
| Badger |
| 31, August 2002 |
| Scott |