MaNHaTTaN Linear

by Winfried Strathmann

My cat Grigina had been diagnosed with a tumor. The options were limited: to have her endure surgery followed by chemotherapy, or to help her die a peaceful death.

When I visited her at the veterinarian’s office to say good-bye one last time, she began to sing for me. It was a song of love and joy. She was happy to see me. She truly did live in the here and now at that moment, as at all other moments, with no recollection of the past and no fear of the future.

Bob was the one friend to whom I could tell the story of Grigina’s song. He understood her and me. He cried for a moment, and then gave her a postmortem hand of applause. Then we could let her go.