This blog post was submitted by Becca Poliquim, a student at Carroll College in Helena, Montana
Becca will be working as an publishing intern at Artichoke Press LLC this summer.
“There is a story in the lore of my family about my aunt, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was nineteen. As a normally witty and charming girl, the absolute loneliness of her treatments sent her into a depression. My uncle— her husband— happened upon a stray calico kitten in their apartment building’s parking lot.
He gifted the kitten to my aunt, who christened her Sonora.
Cats are wonderful companions. Not only can they offer companionship but they remind us of the unconditional love that is available in the world. Claim your free report at www.deathofmypet.com
Sonora was a companion and a friend, and, from my own experience, a very gentle soul. She accompanied my aunt through her recovery before dying on the fifth anniversary of my aunt’s cancer free body— when she was safely and officially past remission.
It’s one of those stories that comes up now around a dying campfire, when the low embers glitter like a lonely city and the conversation shifts to ideas we don’t understand fully: ideas of love.
Every Facebook video of a dog happily and desperately greeting his long-away owner, every photo of a cat with her paw on her pregnant owner’s belly, every necessary cuddle we’ve ever had— they are all portraits of the simplest sort of love.
That basic adoration fosters profound connection because it requires very little, but offers very much. This connection is in our evolution, too— we domesticated animals out of necessity and then desire and then habit. From Paleolithic hunting dogs to royal Egyptian cats to modern therapy animals and police hounds, we’ve always found purpose or solace in the animals around us.”
Judy Helm Wright, publisher and author at www.ArtichokePress.com feels that it is part of her calling to mentor and guide young interns into the world of work. She also gives service as a “Pet Grief Coach” for those who are mourning the loss of a beloved pet.
This year we will be working on a series of pet stories. If you would like to contribute your story and photos, please contact us at [email protected] with PET STORIES in the subject line. We will be in touch with you when your story is published in an upcoming book.
Be sure to join our community at www.Deathofmypet.com it is a community of kind, thoughtful people who want respect for all.
