What's your favorite memory dad?

This evening Cody and I were sitting on his bed, the door closed, a sense of peace filling the room while Cody cried and I pretended to be strong.   That was when Cody asked me the question that I hadn't expected to be asked by him yet had been contemplating all day long: "What's your favorite memory dad?"   Cody was asking me about my memories of our Siamese cat Loki.

I have a lot of favorite memories about Loki, unfortunately though, the ones that I know will be the most vivid and enduring are the last ones.  They will be memories of my kids kneeling around their friend, tears streaming down their face as he lay slowly dying, from what I believe is poison, on the floor in our front room. 

There will be the memory of when Loki finally passed on as I carried him out to the van to take him to the Vet for his 9:00 appointment.  Of the smell of death as his bowels released, of the violent shaking as he made one last effort to hold on.  Of Allyson herding the kids back into the house so that they wouldn't see what was happening. 

What I did tell Cody my favorite memory was, is how Loki and Cody were the best of friends. 

I told him that I know how much he loved Loki, and how much Loki reciprocated that love back to him. 

Loki and Cody had a special bond, they truly were best friends.  Probably the thing I will miss the most is going into Cody's room long after he had gone to sleep and finding Loki curled up next to his head, lifting his head up to see who had entered and then realizing everything is ok putting his head back down and going to sleep.  Cody could call Loki just as if he were a dog and Loki would respond just like a dog.  "Come on Loke, it's time for bed, let's go!" and Loki would follow him down the hall into his room and go right to sleep.  Many of my friends were amazed when they witnessed this happen.  It was always fun to watch people's reaction.  (Even my friend Wayne commented on it today when I told him that Loki had died.)

Cody, it truly was a special bond between you and Loki, and that is my favorite memory bud, I hope that you never forget the love you two had for one another.  You were great to Loki and he was great to you.

Loki was a beautiful animal

 

Loki taking care of his buddy Thor

 

Loki - Christmas 2004

Final thoughts on Loki's passing this morning...

Brady: (as Loki lay on his side dying) Loki dying, Loki dying right Cody?
Brady: (as Loki made a feeble attempt to stand up) Oh, Loki not dying!  Loki NOT DYING!
Brady: (as Loki lay back down, too exhausted to stand) Loki dying! (delivered with a very sad sounding down trodden voice)
Cody: Brady, just STOP IT! (delivered with anguish and grief)
Jon & Ally: (Hiding smiles cuz Brady was soooo cute)