From “Julie’s Gems”: July 2002

Can you believe I’ve written six columns prior to this one and have yet to write a story about my pets? Well your luck just ran out! Fear not, this column is actually about learning to appreciate what you have before you lose it. Now brace yourselves, here comes the story… Twice in the last three months I have been faced with the possibility of losing one of my cats. First, my cat, Cosette was stolen by my neighbor (or should I say “allegedly” stolen), and she was missing for 43 hours before I realized where she was. Then last month my kitten Amara suffered from an unknown injury that caused her brain to swell and she had to spend 57 hours at the vet. During the time when both were gone, the simplicity of not having their furry little face around made me realize even more how much they meant to me. I know many of you cannot relate to loving a cat as dear as a family member. So think of what it would be like to not know where your child was for 43 hours. Every memory you have is a painful, yet cherished one. Or now imagine your sister has been injured and in the hospital and you have no idea if she will live through it. The worse time to re-live the memories of your loved ones is either after you have just lost them or when you are threatened with losing them. Take the time to be with those you love and create new stories that you will someday tell your grandchildren. But also take the time to re-live the current memories you have. Start a journal, photo album, scrapbook, write letters to each other, or anything else you can think of to show how much you care. I know I’m being unusually sentimental, but I do believe it is essential to cherish what we have before it is too late. Life is too short & too fragile to take each other for granted. So go home and tell your significant other, spouse, child, parent, sibling, dog, cat, or other important person in your life how much they mean to you.