Luke is home

I picked up Lukie's ashes today. They are in a little half-pint box. I'm used to human cremains--that weigh several pounds and are at least a quart of ashes.

Luke was such a big cat--it's humbling to see how little is left of him.

For now we have his ashes in a basket on the piano, where he spent a lot of time in his last weeks, until he couldn't jump up on the piano.

I know some of you think I'm a real wuzz given how emotional I've been about the death of 'just a cat'.

That's what non-animal people say about cats and dogs and birds--"they're just a (fill in the blank)."

That's where non-animal people don't get it.

Yes, Luke was a cat, but for nearly 16 years he was a member of our little tribe, our family.

He's back on the piano for now. When it gets warm we'll figure out what to do with his ashes.

I like him on the piano. I do.