In the cold light of mourning

Sometimes something more tragic, more painful and harder to stand, can bring balance where otherwise there was despondency.
On my birthday, the cat died, Eamon's job ended and I got a year older.
With the cat situation, in a sense, Eamon was released from his other worries and could merely focus on the task at hand. Jake, Gus and I helped him bury her in the backyard. Though solemn, we made it a ritual as many families do in the face of the loss of a pet. It's neither trite nor cheesy to demarcate the loss of a presence in your life. In fact, it's an integral part of the experience that moves us forward.