Brujah my big tabby passed away today in the sun in the backyard. I left him with a woman and her daughter who took him into their home in Powell River initially on a temporary basis. He was near the end and it seemed wrong to move him again with me to Nanaimo and then to Victoria at his advanced age. Brujah had lived me with me longer than anyone, longer than my parents and either of my wives. He demanded I pick him at the SPCA when he was a kitten in about 1992. In 1998 he taught me a very important lesson.
Up until then I valued my possessions more than more than anything else in my life, fine art, paintings, electronic toys, more money, these were the things I valued.
In 1998 he got Feline Hepatic Lipidosis; fatty liver disease a frequent killer of large cats. I had just bought the auction, I had no spare money, I wasn't going to be able to draw a real paycheck for sometime. The vet said that if we put in a feeding shunt and we fed him every 4 hours through it for a few weeks he might recover. However it would probably reoccur but he might last a couple more years. The choice was obvious expensive medical care for a chance at giving him a little more time.
I went home that night to make the "smart" choice and looked around my place. I had a French Bronze on my mantel that was worth about $ 3,000.00 that caught my eye. Brujah was worth far more to me than some trinket, and yes I would trade that willingly for a little while longer. That was my budget if it became necessary; I went ahead and sweated through 4 hour feedings blending water with cat food and putting it into a large syringe to pour down the feeding tube for 30 days . He finally stopped struggling after the 2nd week after I had redecorated my living room with liquified cat food 3 times.
He lived 13 more cantankerous years and I shared a bond with him unlike any other pet I have ever know. Sometimes it's like that, John's cats Fred and Peaches took to me immediately and while I like the other dogs and cats those two were special. I'm not used to Peaches being gone yet, I still look for her sometimes.
How does this relate to poker? It's because life is about the company we keep, our families and friends both human and otherwise. We don't go to poker night on Tuesday to win or to make money. With 52 pieces of paper coated in plastic we share friendship and comradery. Its been a great boon to me over the last few years when life hasn't been easy. We compete hard but winning or losing never sours the experience. I look forward to it every week, the needling is never malicious and the rampant insults are good-hearted. There is no price on friendship.
See you Tuesday night ,
Bernard
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