Colors of My Heart

After Sammy crossed the Rainbow Bridge, I was devastated by the grief of losing a beloved pet. I truly believed I would never welcome another cat into my life again. But then, my wife was approached by her friend  looking for a home for a cat. The poor thing had no one to care for it, and without a new owner, it was facing euthanasia… I took it as fate, a quiet calling, and decided to take the cat in. I couldn’t help but feel that Sammy had returned to us in another form. In a regional dialect, the word for “returning” is “monta”—and so we named him Monta. He was born in 2013, the same year as our daughter. It felt as though she had gained a little brother. Just like her, Monta is now twelve years old—and still full of life. Apple iPhone 5s Canon EOS 5D Mark III / EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM / F2.8 / 1/125s / ISO1600 / +1.7  Taken by Baron Photowork Participating in the ranking If you think the content is good, please click and follow. 気に入っていただけましたら応援よろしくお願い致します。 にほんブログ村 にほんブログ村

When our daughter learned to crawl, she began chasing Sammy around the house. I imagine it must have been exhausting for her, but Sammy never turned her away. I thought those peaceful days would last forever. But in the spring of 2015, Sammy was diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma. The cancer was too bad for surgery, and I was told she had only a few months left. My wife and I cried until we couldn’t cry anymore. Even as the illness wore down her body, Sammy continued to try playing with my daughter. After a courageous battle with illness, Sammy crossed the Rainbow Bridge on July 15, 2015. My daughter was not yet two years old, too young to remember the details of their time together. And yet, to this day, she fondly calls Sammy “Professor Sammy,” the one who taught her how to crawl. From the bottom of my hearts, I thank Sammy. Truly, deeply, and forever. Olympus PEN E-P2 / M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 Olympus OM-D E-M1 / M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO Sammy was a beautiful cat...

Even after coming to Japan, Sammy’s lifestyle remained unchanged. She spent her days sunbathing and napping peacefully.  Whenever work got hectic, I often found myself thinking, 'I wish I could be Sammy.' Two years later, when our daughter was born and life became a whirlwind of activity, Sammy was also swept up in the chaos—but that story is for another time.     Olympus PEN E-P2 ／ M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ／ 1/4s ／ F3.5 ／ ISO100 ／ 0.0     Olympus PEN E-P2 ／ M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ／ 1/200s ／ F5.1 ／ ISO100 ／ 0.0 Olympus PEN E-P2 ／ M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ／ 1/400s ／ F5.6 ／ ISO100 ／ 0.0 Olympus PEN E-P2 ／ M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ／ 1/80s ／ F5.6 ／ ISO100 ／ 0.0 Participating in the ranking If you think the content is good, please click and follow. 気に入っていただけましたら応援よろしくお願い致します。 にほんブログ村 にほんブログ村

Truth be told, I’m a devoted cat lover. Even now, a Persian cat graces our home with quiet companionship. But today, I’d like to share the story of a Norwegian Forest Cat who crossed the Rainbow Bridge in the summer of 2015—a soul so dear, our family will carry her memory for a lifetime. Back when we lived in Los Angeles, a stray cat named Sammy wandered into our lives and became our beloved “lodger cat(イソウロウねこ).” Around that time, Olympus had a photo-sharing site called Fotopus, where I posted countless pictures of Sammy under the title The Lodger Cat (イソウロウねこ) , using the nickname Dararin Darling(だらりんダーリン). Eventually, Sammy became a formal member of our family. When we moved back to Japan, she came with us. After our daughter was born in 2013, Sammy spent just two short years with her—but in that time, Sammy was the most wonderful playmate. They were always together, inseparable. It’s been more than ten years since Sammy passed away. For all that time, I couldn’t bring myself to loo...