This blog is as a whole not religious because of course it isn't, but today needs to be an exception. It is Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year and one of the days we recite Yizkor, the memorial service. Today I remembered not only my grandmother but also Shadow. The service I attended was shorter than and different from the one I usually attend, but it included this prayer:

May God remember the soul of Shadow, who has gone to her eternal home. In loving testimony to her life, I pledge tz'dakah to help perpetuate ideals important to her. Through such deeds, and through prayer and remembrance, may her soul be bound up in the bond of life. May I prove myself worthy of the many gifts with which she blessed me. May these moments of meditation strengthen the ties that link me to her memory. May she rest in peace forever in God's presence. Amen.

In her brief six weeks with us, Shadow gave us many gifts. She introduced us to fostering. She gave us her love and her purrs and her unbounding energy for the cat dancer. She gave us trust, both that we would take care of her and that we would take care of her kitten. She gave us joy. 

I will always remember Shadow. By continuing to foster cats and kittens, we give tribute to her. Every cat and kitten we take care of, every cat and kitten we socialize, is another feline life who doesn't end up on the street, malnourished and trying to take care of a family in the elements. It's a small thing, but it's something we can do.