Friday, August 28, 2015

Remembering Jewel on Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

Dear Jewel,

I cannot believe that exactly one year ago, I held you in my lap for the very last time as I helped you cross to the Rainbow Bridge.  It is the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life.  I miss you so much everyday and wish you were still here with us.

You didn't have an easy life for your first 14 years, and it is no secret that I did not agree with how your former owner treated you.  It often broke my heart to watch you desire your former owner's love and attention and not receive it.

I only knew you for four short years, but you changed my life and taught me some important lessons.  You taught me that love really does conquer everything.  You did not have an easy life, Jewel, and when you claimed me as your human, you did not readily trust and love me for a very long time.  But I kept loving you, and eventually, you let me break down the walls you had built up and accepted my love.  I am truly amazed by your strength, perseverence, and bravery.

You taught me that being stubborn is not necessarily a "bad" thing.  In fact, I believe it is because of your stubbornness and your perseverance that you were able to surivive so long and live so well with your chronic renal failure.

I hope and pray that in the four years I knew you that your life was happier.  I hope that for the last two years of your precious life where you claimed me as your human that I was able to give you even a fraction of the love, care, and attention you deserved.


Do you know what the biggest lesson I want people to learn from your story is, Jewel?  I want others to not be afraid to adopt senior kitties into their homes.  When you claimed me, I knew your time was likely pretty limited here on earth with us, given that you had chronic renal failure.  I tried to distance myself from you emotionally so I wouldn't bond with you.  I didn't want to hurt so much when it was your time to leave us.  But try as I might, I couldn't help falling in love with you.

Yes, it hurt me to help you cross the Bridge when you told me it was time for you to go.  It hurt more than I ever could have imagined.  It still hurts so very much.  But I don't regret taking you into my home and heart one bit.  I only wish that I could have given you more time to be loved and cared for the way you deserved to be.

I want others to know that it is worth it to adopt senior kitties, special needs kitties, and terminally ill kitties.  All kitties deserve love, and in my opinion, the elderly, special needs, and terminally ill kitties need love the most.  I hope that your story will inspire others to step outside their comfort zones and adopt a kitty they might not have otherwise, Jewel.

You are my little angel, Jewel.  I know that you visit me sometimes.  I say "hello" to you when I see you.  I hope that you'll continue to visit me and maybe even stick around longer than a fraction of a second so I can see you more.  I always love seeing you; it makes my day.  I only wish I could hear and pet you again.

Thank you for trusting me and loving me, Jewel.  It is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.  I will never forget the lessons you taught me.  I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to know, care for, and love you so deeply.

You are always in my heart, Jewel.  I will never forget you, and someday we will be together again.

Jewel
June, 1998-August 28, 2014
I love you, my angel.

Today is the first annual Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, created by our dear friend, Deb Barnes.  You can learn more about this very special day and why she created it at her blog, Zee & Zoey's Cat Chronicles.  Deb has an amazing blog, and I am so blessed to be able to call her a good friend.  

I hope you'll take the time to visit other blog posts in today's blog hop.  Today is a very special day for so many of us to remember our beloved furry friends.  

24 comments:

  1. Sierra – what a beautiful tribute to your beloved Jewel, and with such an important and heartfelt message as well. There are so many senior cats in shelters being passed over each and everyday. All they want is someone to love them, and that you were able to give that to Jewel, on her terms, made it all the more special for her.

    My heart is with you as we share this anniversary day together – I do believe Mr. Jazz and Jewel are sitting side-by-side, the best of friends, watching over us. I am hoping for a visit from Jazz as well. I feel like I am seeing him everywhere, but I think it is because he has been on my mind so much lately. Perhaps if I can de-clutter my thoughts, he will come to me.

    Thank you my dear friend for participating in Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day - xoxo from Mr. Jazz, Deb, Purr Prints of the Heart and the Zee/Zoey Gang

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so very beautiful. I completely agree with you about adopting older and special needs kitties. Up until Truffles all of my cats had been over 8 when I adopted them. This is such a special day to remember our precious angels.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That loving tribute got my whiskers a bit weepy wet. Hugs from all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Purrs to you as you remember today. <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's such a wonderful tribute to your Angel Jewel. Hugs and purrs to you, as you remember your beloved girl with so much love.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a beautiful post ! That's a wonderful tribute to your Angel Jewel. Hugs and purrs

    ReplyDelete
  7. sierra; thiz iz a troo lee awesum post....we noe thiz yeer iz a veree hard one; we all sew noe that jewel loves ewe bak....ten thousand fold ....& her waz.... & iz ...veree veree proud ......& happee ta have been abe bull two call ewe .......mom... ♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  8. We know Jewel loved you and even though it was only 4 years, both of you gave and received enough love for a lifetime!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a beautiful tribute to Jewel. We wish we had gotten to know her.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is such a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to Jewel. I had trouble reading it through the tears, but your love for her shines out of every word. (((hugs)))

    ReplyDelete
  11. Such sweet memories and a lovely tribute to Jewel. Sending you hugs and warm wishes!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful post for sweet Jewel. Every time I read about her it breaks my heart that you didn't have a longer time to love her, but the important thing is she knew love.

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's such a wonderful message and maybe it's one I need to hear as well. You know that people and pets mirror what we need to learn the most. You were blessed with Jewel in many many ways. Thanks for the message and the love. Sending love and hugs back to you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a beautiful, heartfelt post. Purrs to you as you remember sweet Jewel today.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This was such a beautiful post, a wonderful tribute to your Jewel.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sierra this is beautiful testimony to the power of love. I hope you know that you restored Jewel's faith back in humans. After all she'd been through, when she absolutely needed it the most, you saved her. She was able to take care of herself for those first 14 years but she needed you to help her during her last four. I know there was much gratitude there inside her and love she always wanted. Purrs to you today and everyday.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such a beautiful tribute to a very special kitty.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Such a beautiful tribute to a very special kitty.

    ReplyDelete
  19. So beautiful! Thank you for sharing...

    Noodle and crew

    ReplyDelete
  20. that was an incredibly beautiful and moving letter to Jewel. You were blessed to have lived with and loved each other
    (((hugs)))
    catchatwithcarenandcody

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sending hugs and a lot of purrs too.
    It is so hard to say goodbye to our fur babies,and yet it is also an act of love to release them to the RB when the time is ready fur them and their peeps....our 4 angels will tell you that too, even Simba who passed with no one there to hold him, and unexpectedly as well...

    The hardest thing about all of this fur our peeps was telling the young children in the home what was happening...and they too understood in their own ways.

    ReplyDelete