A couple of weeks after Jem died, I asked my pastor friend, Carol, to write a prayer to honor him. She wrote a beautiful tribute that not only hallows his life but also eulogizes his story — and mine with him. It was a true gift of love.

CAROL’S EULOGY AND PRAYER:

Beloved little Jem, we give thanks for your life and pray now for a gentleness to enfold you as you rest  among stars that never dim and sunrises that will forever shed their radiance around the beauty of your being.  We trust you now to the loving hands of the One who gave you life, the One who will forever hold you close.

You lived your life on this good earth in the tender love of your beloved Sharon, a true soul friend.  You recognized and claimed her as such when you were but a feral kitten at the animal shelter where Sharon volunteered.  You somehow knew she was Your Person, and you repeatedly jumped into her lap to let her know that you belonged together.  Sharon was not planning to adopt a cat at that time, but you stole her heart, and ever since those shelter days, you have been her loving companion and in return have received her devoted, loving care.

You were not a “people cat,” beloved Jem.  You did allow Adrienne into your life, but you often hissed at unfamiliar people or nipped at their ankles.  You were not even a “cat cat,” and did not always welcome your “sister” Scout’s distracting presence.  You were a “Sharon cat,” meowing your joy each time she returned home, resting in your little bed beside her right hand as she worked in her writing room, curling up on her stomach or her lap when she lay on her recliner, snuggling close with her each night under the shelter of the bedcovers.  You two were deeply connected.

We trust, little Jem, that you know how sorry Sharon is that she could not be with you in your moment of sudden passing.  We hope you know that she would have wanted to hold you close and ensure a gentle-as-possible death, and that she would have wanted to say a final thank you to you for your precious life.  A thank you for the deep trust you placed in her love and care.  A thank you for the privilege and delight of stroking your silky gray fur.  A thank you for the fun of watching you play with your crazy circular cat toy.  A thank you for all the times you curled up with her in her difficult times, nuzzling her neck, purring your understanding, and kneading your love into her arms, her stomach, her heart.  A thank you for the gift of your steady companionship through both joyous and difficult days.   

Rest in peace, precious Jem.  Be assured that you will never be forgotten.   

TOMORROW: Part Three, “Avenging Jem”