Welcome to Week 13 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.) Four years ago this month, we said goodbye to our Katie. She was the inspiration for our blog and for many years, its sole voice. Glogirly wasn’t sure she’d ever find the words for our blog again. But through the love of Waffles, she soon realized it had never really left her.Just one week after Katie’s passing, we posted the following thoughts of Waffles as he gazed out the window looking towards the sky. He helped us all to smile again, even if our eyes were still leaky.WAFFLES: Hello, earth to Boss! Are you there, Boss? Come in, Boss. WAFFLES: Lots of people are really sad that you’re not here, Boss. Especially Glogirly. We’re OK, but I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do without you. Like what if I need advice about girls and stuff. And what about breakfast? I don’t have anybody’s food to steal except my own. And that’s not as much fun as stealing yours. WAFFLES: Glogirly says you’re not coming back, Boss. Are you sure?? What if I send you directions or something. Is there GPS where you are, Boss? Don’t worry about your frog and your purple fuzzy heart. I’ll take care of them until I see you again. One WeekA week ago Saturday, I said my final goodbye to my sweet Katie Girl. It took me a few days to gain the courage and strength to read through all the beautiful comments friends left on our blog and on Facebook. I was scared to read them. Missing her so much, I wondered if I would miss her even more. But when I started reading, I realized how much my sweet little girl meant to so many people. People who’ve been following us since the beginning “shoelace incident” to those that just recently stumbled onto us.I’ve never really written about serious topics like nutrition, health, training, etc… It’s always been about smiles and fun, with some occasional heartfelt wisdom sprinkled in when Katie tried to explain the meaning of love, life, and loss to Waffles. I hadn’t realized what a difference the silly conversations between two cats had made in the lives of our friends and readers. And how the photos enabled them to become part of so many families other than our own. Knowing that someone started their day with Katie, and because of that it was a good day, means the absolute world to me. That her cheeky wisdom and sarcastic wit wiped someone’s sadness away is one of the greatest gifts of my life.I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you. Thank you for loving Katie. Thank you for loving Waffles. Thank you for loving me. I’ve read through every single comment here and on Facebook and have them all saved with my many memories of Katie. I don’t ever want to forget a single one. You all have made this heartbreaking loss bearable. I’ve felt your love and comfort wrapped around me like a soft blanket. I’ve been keeping Katie’s special things close, where I can see them, touch them, and remember her. Her green frog that Gloman gave her 12 years ago. Her purple MOM heart she carried around in her mouth. Our photo from her very first night with us that I later used in our first blog header. And my favorite, the purple ribbon and Happy Anniversary tag she was wearing when Gloman brought her home to me. Forever missed.Forever loved.
