February 20, 2023 It has been a year since I had to say goodbye to my Alfie. Every single day I have missed him. Every time I have gone somewhere that I took him, I remember those happy times with Alfie. I especially remember how overjoyed he was to go new places. In his later years, he gradually lost some of that enthusiasm. But he never lost all of it! I believe that Alfie called me to rescue him from the shelter and I believe that we will one day be together again. He was a little man of mystery and even though the grief has been terrible this past year, when I think of his essential personality I can't help smiling.

Visiting this site comforts me because it shows me that I am not alone in my sensitivity to the complexity of our precious babies.

February 19, 2024: I can't believe it has been almost two years since I lost my precious Alfie. I miss him every day. My three felines comfort me, the two girls who I adopted when Alfie was still here, and their pesky little brother who I adopted in July 2022. I know they sense his history in this house. Each of my fur babies is special, each in their own way, and they've managed to teach this hard-headed human to appreciate that quality in all living things. Yes, even humans! Alfie, and his compadres, taught me to spread a little more love in the world. And when I think about it, what more can anyone hope to achieve? Thank you to anyone who visits Alfie's memorial and reads these messages.

February 26, 2025: Nearly every day, I reflect on and miss my sweet Alfie. It's been three years but I still miss him and cry tears of grief. When I see my neighbors walking their dogs, I remember my walks with Alfie, how precious those times were, how they knitted me into this community. No matter how much I love my current fur babies or any future ones, I will always remember how special Alfie was. I particularly cherish the memory of some walks we had in his last year. He'd slowed down a great deal, but now and then he'd be full of vigor and he'd race down our block, making me race along behind him, laughing with joy because I could see that he felt great.

It's a tricky balancing act for me, allowing myself to fully feel all of the feelings - sadness that my Alfie is gone, and joy in the things that are happening now. The only way to do that with any skill is to live in the present, to experience the emotions of the present moment, without guilt, without regret. Alfie lived that way, present for whatever was happening right here, right now. He's physically gone but I still feel his essence.