Today we want to remember The Ones Who Came Before. In our family, we have three:
Ricky Eugene Graves
Ricky was a good boy. He tried so hard to be tough and brave...but deep down inside, he was mommy's boy. He loved to be held like a baby and would sleep in mommy's arms for hours on end. Every night when he would go to sleeps, he insisted that mommy "spoon" him and hold his back right foots in her hand. Uh, that was kinda weird, Ricky! He loved his sister/wife, Lucy, with all of his heart. Ricky had Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Diabetes. His tummy hurt him lots cause of the IBD and he had to git shots every day 'cause of the diabetes. Oh how he tried to not let mommy know when he feeled bad. He fighted so hard but one day mommy realized that he was losin' weight and looked pritty bad. She taked him to the Hospital for Very Sick Cats and they said he had cancer, a real bad kind, and there was no hope. They thoughted he would only live for a few days more. But...he showed them! He rallied and lived almost a whole month more! He fighted so hard! Oh, how he snuggled with mommy in that last month. And, he loved on Lucy, too. But one day, he knowed it was time. He just couldn't watch over mommy and Lucy anymore from earth 'cause his little body was weared out. He needed to move to heaven. Sayin' goodbye was hard.
Ricky is in heaven now and watches over us every day. Mommy can't see him but we can! Ricky is a very special Angel. He specializes in watchin' over us kitties and mommy when we sleeps since he loved nappin' so very much. What mommy don't know is...every night when she goes to sleeps, Ricky comes and wraps his wings around her. He's a very good guardian angel!
Lucy Margarite Graves
Lucy was a very good girl. When she came to live with mommy, she only weighed 1/2 pound. She was tiny but...man, oh man, she was one tough chick even when she was a baby. She didn't take no crap offa anybody. And, Miss Lucy loved to eat her suppers. She growed to be 23 pounds! Even though Ricky tried to be brave, it was Lucy that really was the brave one of the pair. There was three things Lucy loved...mommy, suppers and nappin'. She hated to say goodbye to Ricky. It was hard to lose her littermate. But she knowed he would still be with her. By that time she had Elsie as a sister and Henry as a brother. She hated them both at first but finally accepted Elsie after Ricky went to heaven. She kinda enjoyed beatin' Henry up every chance she gotted. One day, mommy noticed that she wasn't eatin' her suppers much and she wasn't beatin' on Henry, either. The Hospital for Very Sicky Cats said that Lucy's liver was very sick...somethin' called Hepatic Lipidosis. Lucy was in the hospital for almost a whole dang month. There was times they thoughted that Lucy was ready to go to heaven but...in her fierce fighter fashion, Lucy rallied. Oh she fighted so hard and...don't you know she gotted better! For 2 whole years she did real goods and was the queen of the house. All of us in the Whiskers & Purrs Gang steered clear of Lucy 'cause by that time, we had all moved in and she hated us. But, one day mommy noticed that she was sick again. The Hospital for Very Sick Cats said that our Lucy had liver cancer this time and that there was no hopes.. She feeled very bad and let mommy know it was time to go. It was so hard to say goodbye.
Lucy is in heaven now and watches over us all. She specializes in watchin' over us when we eat our suppers 'cause she was SO good at that. She also focuses on watchin' over mommy when she is stressed out. She sits on mommy's shoulder...kinda like a hood ornament on a car...and goes with her wherever she goes. Sometimes, when mommy does somethin' stupid, Lucy whaps mommy upside the head with her wings. That's just Lucy's way...she's still a very tough broad.
Felix Unger Graves III
Felix was a very good boy. He actually showed up when Ricky died. He and Ricky talked 'bout it and Ricky told him he could move in as long as he promised to watch over mommy. Boy...Felix took that to heart. Felix loved mommy like you wouldn't believe. He also loved all of us. He never met a cat he didn't like. He instantly became the big daddy of the house...the little girls in the Gang loved him and got all googley-eyed when he came around. The little boys in the Gang all wanted to be just like big brother...all studly and manly and everything. He made sure all of us behaved and if we didn't, he would bop us upside the head. When mommy's back would hurt, he would walk on it for her. Felix sure did love his womens. Lord have mercy...he kissed and snuggled with all of his womens every single day! Everything was good until mommy realized that Felix's pooper was broked. Oh, Aunt Doktor Dugan and Aunt Doktor Davies tried so hard to fix his pooper...for months and months and months. Nothin' worked, though. He was on a real high dose of steroids. It made him not feel so goods. One day, mommy taked him to see Aunt Doktor Davies and she realized what was wrong. When she told mommy she was pritty sure it was FIP, mommy cried like we ain't never seen her cry befores. We thoughted FIP meant Felines Is Precious. But she said, no, it stood for somethin' real bad. Felix got real real sick very real fast. Within just a few days, he knowed it was time to go. Oh how hard it was. He was the man of the house. Mommy often said it was like she and Felix was raisin' the Gang. He was her partner and buddy. But she knowed the lovin' thing to do was to let him go on to heaven where he could continue watchin' over us all.
So, Felix is in heaven now. He watches over us all every single day. He specializes in watchin' over mommy...he is with her 24/7 and pritty much always has his wings wrapped 'round her. And when she's real tired and sad, he comes and whispers his sweet purrs in her ear...Felix is still a very good boy.
To all of our Fierce Fighters, you are loved and missed more than you can know. Please always stay with us and watch over us all every day.
