Goodbye my Friend

I grew up in a house devoid of pets.  Always wanted a dog, but the closest I came was two turtle's happily named "Mertel and Gertel" One thing I know is that I absolutely, bombastically, catastrophically, did not, could not and would not own a cat! They shed everywhere, meowed all the time, and made me cough and sneeze.  I once lived with a friend of mine for the summer who had 3 cats and I was miserable. No cats end of story!! Or so I thought.  I started dating the first lady 4 plus years ago. Six months later she moves in with me and talks me into letting her cat become part of the family.  I insisted the cat stay in the computer room and was never allowed in the bedroom, litter box changed hourly, and if I hear one meow it was out the door.  That's when I met Magna (we called her Maggie).
 Maggie was a cat that was rescued from the human society.  I don't know what happened to her but she did not like people very much.  I remember the day she came home, we had bought a pet carrier and put in a nice towel for her to lay on and introduced her to her new home.  After 10 minutes of being skittish, she finally went in and laid down.  Soon after number 1 and 2 found the new arrival and picked up the pet carrier and started shaking it violently trying to get the cat to come out.  She never returned to that house.
 Maggie spent the next year hanging out in the computer room and getting to know the house better.  Once in a while we would have to look for her and her new hiding spot.  I often said if it wasn't for the littler box no one would know we had a cat.  Slowly she took up more real estate and before I knew it she was sleeping in her bed in our room.

 Her favorite pastimes had become sleeping under the covers with the first lady, taking a stroll out on the deck Sunday mornings when we would have breakfast outside, and her nightly runs threw the house.  Four months ago we noticed a lump and discovered cancer.  We decided since Maggie was 12-13 years old that treatment would only hasten things.   We decided to instead be her champions and for the past months have keep her spirits up while giving her lots of love.  As I write this she is curled up next to mom and enjoying her last night with the family.  Tomorrow her journey with us ends and her new journey awaits.  Her final resting place will be under our nice shade tree where the kids can stop by and say hi from time to time.  Her biggest accomplishment was changing a stubborn old man into a sappy ole' cat lover.  She has brought more joy to me than I ever could have ever imagined.  The little brown cat named Magna...thanks for being part of my life. I will miss you!!