Endings and Beginnings

Thinking about beginnings and endings today campers. Endings because Misty, our 19 year old lynx point Himalayan, finally crossed the great divide last week. Misty was well traveled and lived an eventful life, moving from Bend to Portland to the Colestin,camping with us at the hot springs, living on a houseboat, mothering three kittens. She was sweet and smarter than she looked, otherwise how could she have lasted so long? I miss her, but I’m grateful that she passed so peacefully. She had a stroke last February and we thought she wouldn’t last the week. She was in no pain and, at age 19, we saw no point in taking her to the vet; the 45 minute drive to town followed by medical intervention would have been torture. Much to our surprise, she rebounded after that first stroke and spent five months sleeping peacefully in her usual spot until a second stroke laid her low. She spent the last week of her life in her familiar surroundings, feeling no pain, well cared for and surrounded by people who love her. It was a good death.

I’m thinking of beginnings because today Arly Sue’s 23rd birthday and on Monday she leaves for New Orleans to begin the next phase of her life. She has a history of moving on or near her birthday. We moved to Porltand on her birthday, we moved to the Colestin on her birthday, she left for Guanajuato right around her birthday, and now this. It's gotta mean something.

Kiva is madly in love with a young man I have yet to meet, an actor (god help her.) She helped launch a new restaurant last year and has moved up from the pantry to sous chef. She does the ordering, the hiring, and runs the kitchen on her own for hours at a time. She has a close community of friends around her. She still creates art, although she invests a lot of her creativity into her food now. She is, dare I say it, happy.

And me? I’m wrapping my head around the fact that my daughters love me, will always love me, but they don’t need me any more. I raised them to be strong, self-directed, independent women. I’m proud of them. I miss them.