This is one of the hardest sentences I’ve ever had to write: Harley, my wonderful, lovable, trouble-finding and trouble-making kitty, has died. He fell climbing a tree, and got stuck in the tree’s fork. Twenty minutes after I rescued him, he passed away.
Barely a year after we adopted the little guy, he’s gone. I am sad. But Harley squeezed so much mayhem…uh, I mean, joy, into that year, that it didn’t seem appropriate to honor his memory with a sad blog post. Then something my friend Margaret wrote on my Facebook page gave me an idea: “What was the craziest thing Harley ever did?” (Um, I have to pick just one?) So I made a list, and in the midst of grief it made me smile—and laugh.
Top 5 Craziest Things Harley Ever Did
5. Ate a Mrs. Dash coupon. My hubby Bob never clips coupons, but the one day he did, Harley selected that piece of paper to shred and destroy. (We had to pay full price.)
4. Wrote a poem with magnetic poetry: “Spring told winter snow that baby had squirrel. She whispering home flower upon pig man.” (Yes, I did a little rearranging, but he picked the words—everyone needs an editor.)
3. Trapped his sister Pearl in a box and sat on the flaps so she couldn’t get out.
2. Hid on the top closet shelf, then patted me on the head when I entered, causing me to scream.
1. Adopted his own kitten. One day he found an abandoned kitten and insisted on keeping “Penny” around. (Seriously. He’d pester us until we fed her, then watch while she ate.)
Harley taught me a lot in the brief time he spent here…how beautiful it is to be exuberant about everything in your life, how laughter is always the best medicine, how you can stuff yourself with all the kibble you want as long as you get plenty of exercise. How love is best expressed by taking a flying leap into your loved one’s arms. And most of all, how even a short life can be packed with joy beyond measure.
The birds and frogs and moles won’t miss you, Harley…but I sure will.
—Allison Ruffing
