My Baby Bobo: It is 10 Years Today

Some of you might remember this post from the last few years. It is now a tradition, that I post this on the anniversary of my beloved Bobo's passing. The only change I made was that Bobo is now gone 10 years and I deleted a photo and added a new one.  Sorry about the quality of the photos, they are quite old, they were taken when blogs didn't exist! I also chose to publish this at 6:30pm EST which is the approximate time that Bobo left to go to the Rainbow Bridge. 

Bobo is who this blog is dedicated to.

 There would be no blog if I hadn't shared my life with Bobo.

 My Baby Bobo, I miss you today, I'll miss you tomorrow,

 I will miss you until the day we meet again.

It is 10 years ago today that I lost my beloved Bobo, or my "Baby Bobo" as I often called him.

Bobo passed the day after his 18th birthday.

He was  my  "Soul Kitty".

 What is a "Soul Kitty?"

 A "Soul Kitty" is a  once-in-a- lifetime pet.

A "Soul Kitty" is  the yin to our yang.

A "Soul Kitty" is  a  pet tied more deeply to us than many people in our lives have been, or could ever hope to be.  Our fur babies are ALL special but I believe if you think really hard there is one who stands out from the others.

  A "Soul Kitty" is the  one whose fur would be dampened by our tears as he  snuggled peacefully by our side, just to offer us comfort.

A "Soul Kitty" is the one who makes us laugh til our sides ache, watching  his kitty craziness.

I was upset with Bobo's behavior one day
and packed his kitty toys
in a bandana

A "Soul Kitty" is the one who you swore that " there was no other cat out there quite like him" (isn't it funny how we ALL say that about our cats?).

The passing of Bobo was the most horrible thing that has happened in my life (next to my Father's passing).  So many of you can relate to the devastating heartbreak that one just doesn't have the words for. The pain was crippling. I lived for him as much as he lived for me. A part of me died with him. In order to cope, I chose to make some collages and hang them in our condo (where they still hang today). I needed to see him in every room, the thought of his face not greeting me each day was too much to bear.

The above photo, (in the same frame), was prominently displayed on my desk at every job I had. When I travel, I will NOT travel without it. Bobo has joined me on every airplane trip since he passed. I keep that photo in a special mesh bag, I hold it when the plane takes off and kiss it. My Angel Bobo is MY Guardian Angel.

For many years Bobo and I lived on our own. I had no other pets, Bobo WAS the only pet, and my baby. I wasn't married for many of the years we were together and I would customarily leave for work at 7am and not return home until after 6pm. I had a lovely window at my old apartment that was on the first floor. Bobo used to enjoy passing many hours watching deer, birds, and even our maintenance people (who knew him as a fixture in the window and knew him by name), while he waited for me to return home. It never mattered what time I returned, when I would pull into my parking spot, there would be Bobo, waiting for his Mama's return.

 For those of you who believe that cats (and humans and other pets), communicate with us from beyond, an eerie thing happened. Soon after Bobo's passing, my  husband and my sister-in-law had gone to an Art fair and I stayed home. My husband surprised me with a portrait he had bought that bore not only a striking resemblance to my Bobo, but it was as if whomever created the portrait had seen my window at my old apartment. I burst into tears when I saw it. It is probably the most beautiful and cherished gift I have ever received. I would like to share that with you:

I am convinced that Bobo found a window in heaven

where he is waiting for me.

The portrait still hangs in my living room.

When Bobo was still a young cat, very much alive and vital, I often played music in the apartment that we shared.  There was one song, "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton,  that for some reason Bobo particularly liked.  Whenever it would come on he would come walking into whatever room I was in. He would rub his head and face against my hand or my leg. He did this so often that I began to call it "Bobo's Love Song" or  "The Kitty Love Song" . I used to become sad thinking that one day, even if it WAS many years down the road, my Bobo would no longer be with me.  Even with Bobo being so young the thought would bring me to tears.  I couldn't imagine not having  my "Baby Bobo" in my life.  It has  been ten years since my Baby Bobo passed and:

I still can't