Monday, October 29, 2007

A day of death

My aunt-in-law called this afternoon, asked if I would dig the grave for her cat tonight. It died at a good old age, 18.

So I carved out a hole in the cold clay of her backyard and gently lowered the little box into it.

I drove home through the darkness, thinking about the old saying that nothing is sure in life except death.

In my front yard lay the body of a raccoon.

I don't know what happened to it. Nobody could have hit it with a car way back here and no cat would survive a fight with a beast like that. At least it will not have to face the cold winter that is blowing into Virginia.

I carried it into the woods and, for the second time this day, dug a hole in the ground and lowered a small body into it, into the earth that accepts all things that have come from Her, at the end of their brief lives.

6 comments:

StayAtHomeKat said...

How kind you are.

And how kind you are known to be for someone to call for your assistance with their loss.

How fortunate for these two innocents that the last gaze upon their being was from someone of kindness and understanding and appreciation.

Bless them and bless you.

Eastcoastdweller said...

Thank You, Kat, for Your gentle words.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for doing that Eastcoastdweller, and thank you for saying that Kat.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

This brought back such sad memories from many years ago when my daughter and I buried her father, then returned to our home in VT to discover that our pet rabbit had been destroyed by the house sitter's dog, our kitten let outside where she froze to death, and the ground was so frozen that we couldn't bury the bodies until Spring.

I'm glad you were able to give those animals a gentle resting place.

Laura Stamps said...

I always say it, and I will say it again...You are a very special and precious spirit. All creatures, furry or not, are blessed by your presence on Gaia.

xoxoxo!!

Mermaid Melanie said...

thats a long day. you are a good man.