Her eyes are clouding with age, and when she peers at my face, I see confusion in hers: How do I appear to her now?
All I can do is lean forward and kiss that small patch of white just above and between her eyes, the star she was given by a god who foretold this moment. She bows her head slightly, allowing my reverence, knowing her worth all at once.
Jean Ryan, a native Vermonter, lives in Lillian, Alabama. Her stories and essays have appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies. She has also published a novel, LOST SISTER. Her short story collections, SURVIVAL SKILLS and LOVERS AND LONERS, are available online. STRANGE COMPANY, a collection of short nature essays, is available in paperback as well as digital and audio editions.
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2 thoughts on “To My Aging Cat”
Beautiful words! I look at my 17 year old puppy and feel similar. Taking care of him some how makes me feel younger. His clouding eyes need me to guide him so as not to bump into things he can no longer see. Thank you for posting this!
Jean Ryan 
Beautiful words! I look at my 17 year old puppy and feel similar. Taking care of him some how makes me feel younger. His clouding eyes need me to guide him so as not to bump into things he can no longer see. Thank you for posting this!
Thank you so much, Mary.