Erin the Literary Cat

Farewell to my forever Prince, Friend, and Family.

It was early Tuesday morning this week, when Mrs H came and broke the news. My beloved Prince, Valentine, the hero of our adventures together, had passed away. We had long known this day would come, but still, it catches you and hurts just the same.

Few, if any, folks in the blogosphere will know we were secretly engaged two years ago. Sadly, somehow we never managed to find the time to have the big, bold, fun marriage celebration we both wanted.

But that doesn't matter as we knew each other.

Valentine was the consummate gentleman. Ever loving, always attentive, never forgetting a birthday or Christmas. I wish I could have been even half as good as he. Yet for all my faults, Val saw my worth and loved me for them, grumpy fits, warts and all.

Val and I met at Blog Paws nearly five years ago, and through our avatars, we soon realised we were meant to be together. A long and happy adventure followed, where we wrote a story and sailed the seven seas of pirate times singing rousing songs, drinking nip wine and having no end of fun.

Needless to say, Valentine's mum, Kerry, and Mrs H made sure everything was done properly: chaperones and the like for our long Facetime chats, and always on hand with refreshments.

As Mrs H and I are Buddhist, we believe our subtle essence, that which is our consciousness, moves on to another life, into another form after the body dies. The better karma we have created in this life through kind acts and the way we live our lives, the better the rebirth.

I know Valentine will have a good rebirth.

There may be a huge hole now in this life of mine, but there is a chasm for Kerry David and Esmerelda, Val's family. Together, we will get through by being in the here and now, celebrating life, and helping each other and those around us.

I shall honour Valentine by keeping his image close and by praying for him for seven weeks, the longest a soul spends in the bardo state, which is the space between lives. That is the Buddhist way. I have cried and shall still cry, but it will be tempered by knowing there is hope in another life if we act well and create good causes in this.

Till we meet again, sweet Valentine, if not in this life, then the next, every inch of your name is how I shall remember and celebrate your life and times.

Erin & Mrs H

And now, the Sunday Selfie.

We are joining Janet Blue from the Cat on My Head blog for the weekly parade of selfies from all manner of companion creatures from across the pond and around the globe.

To go to Janet's blog selfie page, please click this LINK, or type / cut and paste

https://thecatonmyhead.com/tuxie-cat-flowers-selfie/

And finally, here is my peaceful, contemplative selfie. . .