In a time when no words suffice, we turn to those who loved beyond words.
In the case of the immortal Max, who left this world last Friday, we turn to Kim.
Kim wrote monthly updates to Max’s Special Needs sponsors for 6+ years. The bond between them transcended time; you’ll glimpse that indescribable love in Kim’s eulogy below.
Even today, even as Max’s absence is surreal, the life-force that was Max transcends the limits of this life. Thank you, Kim, for finding the words for a soul who strains the limits of language. — A.H.
“To All Who Love Max:
The past few weeks have been a roller coaster ride of emotion. I visited Max as often as I could; we all did. Each time I left him, I was not sure I would see Max again. There were days I was sure were his last. Then there were those wonderful days when he seemed good.
But I knew; whatever time we had left with him was borrowed.
A gift from God with which we were blessed.
When not at Tabby’s Place, I am Director of a New Jersey rescue group that specializes in senior animal care and protection. It has been my experience that aging animals will often rally towards the very end of their lives. They will have a few good days, during which they seem well, spirited and somehow renewed.
My personal belief is that they do this to leave those who love them with a beautiful memory of how they were before their decline. This helps us to remember them as they were before the effects of illness and aging take their final toll. I think the animals want this for the humans who love them so.
We had those beautiful days with our precious Max.
On the day I received that dreaded call, I was working out of town. Unable to get to Tabby’s Place, I tried to hold myself together in the workplace. The afternoon seemed to drag on; the lump in my throat grew larger. I could not see through my tears to complete the tasks at hand. Jumping into my car at day’s end, I pulled away, then over into a quiet street and down the road. I let the tidal wave of emotion take over.
Our Max was gone.
His was a peaceful passing; as Jonathan said, letting Max go was ‘the hardest, kindest thing we could still do for him.’
Thank you, beloved Max. I will miss our visits, full of confidences never betrayed. You knew all of my secrets; you loved me anyway. I will miss the sparkle in your eyes when I walked through the door, your ‘cat nods’ as I chatted with you, full of an understanding that bordered on human. You never judged; you were always my friend.
I will miss that friendship more than these words could ever say.”
Max is missed by many – human and feline.