Blackberry Lives On

It's been over a year since Blackberry started hunting in a different dimension. She continues to inspire me.

The connection between writers and cats is almost a cliche. I wouldn't be surprised if MFA programs offer courses about sharing your desk with a cat. There is a reason for this. I had been putting words on paper for years, but I didn't become a real writer until after we brought Blackberry into our home. I will always be grateful for what she taught me.

BE CURIOUS



Cats are interested in everything--except what appears on a computer screen. And they have no interest in gazing at themselves in the mirror. The world has so much more to offer. In Brooklyn, Blackberry and I spent a lot of time watching the pigeons strut across the rooftop across the street.

KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT



Blackberry had an uncanny sense of which particular piece of paper was the one I needed the most. Here she is taking a bath on it, as if to say, "Clean this part up."

CONCENTRATE



Her stare was so penetrating; it was unsettling.

BE HUNGRY



Her appetite was tremendous. Once she got a whiff of something she wanted, she pursued it relentlessly. She obeyed no rules. She even opened cupboard doors to get food we tried to hide from her. She took what she wanted, even if it was a sip from my husband's cocktail.

BE FEARLESS



Yes, she is sitting on the peak of a pitched roof.

BE WILD



Blackberry never ever forgot that she was a hunter. Even toward the end of her life, whenever dusk lengthened the shadows in the woods and other animals crept from their hiding places, she wanted to leave my lap and run off to be part of that other world.

Blackberry was my inspiration and my companion for many years. We will be telling stories about her life for many more years to come.


Comments

  1. Wonderful lessons from a wonderful cat. Thanks for sharing Blackberry with us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  2. We learn so much from our animals. I lost my Peke last year, and know exactly what it's like when they're gone. Blackberry sounds like such a character.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment