Cara asked me to write about comfort, and I had a lot of ideas for the
topic. However, as of my writing this, it has been four days since we
have seen our family’s much-loved cat, George, who has brought us so
much comfort over the years and taught us about it too, so I am
dedicating this post to him. There have been a lot of tears. We are
worried about him but holding on to hope. We have heard stories of
cats coming home weeks later, and this could happen to us, but we are
aware things might not go so well.
Fred and George, who are litter-mates, have lived with us since they
were kittens, nearly ten years ago. We joked that we “hired” them for
their mousing abilities, but of course they have been beloved pets.
George was the mellower of the two. My young daughter had difficulty
being gentle with our cats, and George gracefully submitted to her
petting that sometimes seemed a little more like pushing, hugs that
seemed more like squeezing and trapping, and despite the discomfort
she might have caused him, George followed her around, sat on her lap,
and slept on her bed at night. The two of them have always had a
special bond, even though now, at 13, she has no trouble being gentle
with him. He still sleeps in her room often, keeping her cozy and
comfortable.
I know he is “only a cat,” but while George is missing, we are
reminded that we can’t take our loved ones, pets or humans, for
granted. His brother, Fred, is the classic annoying in/out,
wake-up-I’m-hungry sort of cat, and we are all feeling a lot more
tolerance for him right now. We are going through old photos of George
and are noticing all the photos we ought to have but never took, too.
How sad that there aren’t photos of each of us with George, and of our
whole family with him, or of all us with all of our pets (which also
include my older daughter’s pet rats, Hazel & Ivy). You can be sure
that at least for a while there will be more photos of loved ones
being taken in this home, together with the ones they love and the
things they love.
It’s a reminder, as a photographer, that sometimes photography isn’t
just about the quest for the perfect moment or the perfect light.
Sometimes it really is about recording memories. It’s a reminder,
too, to hold onto the photos that I take of my family and loved ones
that I may not feel are worth sharing on Flickr, but still may hold
sentimental value.
Because George and Fred are black, they are difficult to photograph.
My camera’s meter tends to overexpose them. Even when I get the
exposure right, showing detail in a mass of black fur is tricky.
Focusing on them if an open eye isn’t available is tricky too. Usually
by the time I’ve figured out the exposure and focus, the moment is
lost. So I have a lot of photos of them on my hard drive that are
exposed badly or composed badly because I took them in a rush just to
make sure I got something, even if it wasn’t great. It’s a little
frustrating, because really, if you want to find the light in your
home, follow a cat. I have a lot of blurry, badly exposed, and badly
composed photos of Fred and George and beautiful light. I am
appreciating those photos today and wishing I had more.
This is one of the most recent imperfect photos I have of George,
sunning himself in our dining room window, one of his favorite places
to be. I am so grateful right now to have this photo, flaws and all.
You can find more of Deirdre’s wonderful photography on her flickr stream.
I am weeping. I pray he comes home soon. Thank you for this.
Loved these lines- It’s a reminder, as a photographer, that sometimes photography isn’t
just about the quest for the perfect moment or the perfect light.
Sometimes it really is about recording memories.
Thank you. xoxo
Thank you, Staci. I appreciate it.
A beautifully written reminder to appreciate those that share our home. My heart feels for you and your family. Our cats are well-loved too and you can’t help but worry when they go wandering. I hope George finds his way home soon x
Thank you Suzi!
Deidre I am sad and understand as we have three cats and all of them are in their later years. They constantly bring us joy and companionship without reservation. I’m praying he finds his way back to you. Thanks for sharing this with us all.
Thank you. Enjoy your kitties for me this evening.
Thanks, Cara, for having me here, and thank you Staci, Suzi, & Veronica for your kind comments. George is still not home.
Rereading this now, I see typos and grammatical errors. Blame them on tears. It’s Day 5, and George still isn’t home. But I heard so many amazing stories, yesterday, of cats who come home not just days later, but weeks, months, and even years! So I’m still holding on to hope that he’s just on a great big adventure and will come home happy and healthy.
I will go in an fix them. I didn’t notice maybe because I was so caught up in the story too.
Thank you, Cara!
haha i made a typo in my sentence about fixing your typos. how terrible.
oh sweet Deirdre!!! i am sooo sad reading this beautifully written and heart wrenching story and so touched by those sweet shots of George. your thoughts on capturing the ones we love are so very true — those moments mean so very much to us!! i pray that George will come home to you all and that you get to hold him tight again. xxxooo
Thank you Linda, You are the biggest cat-lover I know. I know you understand.
that last photo says everything!
Oh, dearheart! My thoughts are so so with you, and your sentiment is transmitted so beautifully. xoxo
The photos and your words are a perfect tribute to everyone who has a much-loved pet. They are “not only” a cat, they are part of the family. I hope George finds his way back to your family, Deirdre. x
Tearing up here as well; years after we had to put down our dog after he got sick, I’m still having trouble with the idea of getting another pet and having to go through that again. Fingers crossed for George’s safe return and all the best to you and yours, Deirdre.
I’m sorry to hear that. If I ever need to cry, I think about my childhood cat. I still miss her, over 25 years later!
Dierdre, I am so sorry about your beautiful George. I will hold out hope for you and your family for his safe return. You are so right about appreciating the imperfect. xo
Thanks so much Becky Sue! Keeping my fingers tightly crossed he comes home before the hurricane.
I want to give you hope, because I had a cat that disappeared for a couple weeks but then returned in the middle of the night. As soon as we heard her meow we shot out of bed and rushed to the door to let her in. It was a sweet reunion.
Yet I want to give you comfort, too, because we don’t know how this story will end. From all you have said and from your images, I know that George has been a very lucky, much loved cat in your home.
Thank you so much. Stories like yours are keeping us all going.
He’s so handsome. I don’t subscribe to the “only a cat” theory either. They are wonderful creatures, fun, sweet, smart, beautiful. I really hope for his safe return.
Beautiful words Deirdre – I am thinking of you all 🙁
I keep popping back onto FB hoping to find you have updated your status with some great news, so still sending the “find George” vibes your way.
Oh Deirdre, this is such an amazing post about your sweet George. My fingers and toes are crossed for you all. x
Dear Deidre, your story is breaking my heart. Today is the second day our Abby didn`t come home. I´m including your George into our hopes and prayers for a safe return. They are never “only a cat”, aren`t they?
So sorry your cat is missing too, Elke. We have this hurricane coming and just more time looking for George everywhere. Good luck to you!
Oh man, I hope George has resurfaces by now. perfect or not, you’ve captured some beautiful shots of George, and I bet you’ve got more deep in the archives than you realize. Fingers crossed that George comes home soon 🙂 xoxo