Dexter on parade

litebeing

My soulmate and partner in crime Dexter passed away  5 years ago today. He died of heart disease, which makes no sense because he had the biggest heart I had ever known, overflowing with love. I am re-blogging this post in his honor. His company would have made my quarantine so much brighter. My heart was shattered and my sadness unspeakable. This was one of the worst days of my entire life but I do not regret a second I spent with this furry bundle of joy and affection.

Within the past few days I have heard of 2 friends losing their beloved animal companions. Then I had a heartfelt conversation with OM about cats and blogging. While this topic is somewhat off theme, it seems fitting to prepare a simple post about my beloved Dexter.

Dexter
Dexter

I adopted Dexter back in 2008, a few months after I lost my first cat Jasmine. I renamed him Dexter after careful thought and consideration. It was not because he reminds me of a serial killer. It just suited him better than his original name Sylvester did.

After 16 years ( she was about 8 weeks when I brought her home) , Jasmine succumbed to kidney disease. Watching her decline and deciding when to let her go was among the most agonizingly painful, gut- wrenching times in my entire life. The sadness and pain were almost too much to bear. Jazz died in April 2008, so the anniversary of her passing is quite fresh. Raising this sweet cat from infancy was the closest I have come to motherhood and as we know, children are supposed to outlive their parents. But this is not always the case.

get-attachment (15)

I was heartbroken for so long after I lost Jazz. This grief was deadening and isolating. I was practicing outpatient therapy full-time and so many of my clients spoke about their pets. Several had cats and these daily sessions were grueling. Eventually I found them healing in a cathartic manner. We do attract what we need, generally speaking. When I felt ready, I began to visit shelters to seek a new cat, not as a replacement, but as an extension of love. Dexter was much older than the kitten I initially desired, and he had been sent to the shelter more than once. It remains a mystery why this adorable soul was rejected not once, but twice!  I would like to believe that it was so I would eventually find him. Within a few short weeks, he settled in and showed me his true nature. I am amazed by his capacity for affection, verbal activity ( he talks more than I do!) and openness. Dex’s personality is the opposite of reserved Diva Jasmine who was more like Greta Garbo. Dex craves attention and human touch and is so delighted to meet * everyone who crosses his path (* squirrels and birds need not apply!)

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What this boisterous ball of joy has taught me about the healing effects of love is boundless. There are no words that can accurately describe his ability to soothe my spirit with his perpetual demonstration of unconditional love.

I love you Dex.

 

POSTSCRIPT:
cool Dexter facts ~

he is left-pawed, just like me 🙂
he enjoys crossing his paws ( dainty indeed)
rolling over and inviting you to rub his belly IS his default position ( boy does he love belly rubs, don’t believe that old wive’s tale to never rub a cat’s belly!)

 

if you love all things warm and fuzzy ( including Sindy’s non- mammalian fish), you gotta visit this page: odyssians

Published by litebeing

Seeking magic and awe in ordinary moments

40 Comments

  1. Goodbye sweet baby dex! You will be tremendously missed.
    May your journey into the next realms be as sweet as they were with your wonderful mommy Linda.
    Hugs, and our sincerest condolences. You got your much deserved angel spirit wings too soon!
    love,
    O and OM.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hi Monika,
      I am so sorry for your loss of your 2 cats. Thank you for loving Dexter. Many on WP loved him and I know he felt it and soaked it all up! thank you for supporting me since the beginning of my journey here. ❤ Linda

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    1. Thank you so much Cindy. You clearly are passionate about animals and have helped me increase my love for so many through your photographs. This has been a difficult year. I appreciate your kindness. ❤

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  5. Reblogged this on litebeing chronicles and commented:

    My soulmate and partner in crime Dexter passed away today. He died of heart disease, which makes no sense because he had the biggest heart I had ever known, overflowing with love. I am re-blogging this post in his honor. My heart is shattered and my sadness unspeakable. This is one of the worst days of my entire life but I do not regret a second I spent with this furry bundle of joy and affection.

    Here’s a tribute to my sweet angel Dexter.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. With my heart felt sympathy and warmest affection. Rest in peace Dexter.

      He’ll always be found in the garden of your heart whenever you call. Take care of you.

      ❤ Namaste LL

      DN – 13/07/2015

      Liked by 4 people

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      2. Hey Linda,

        Like all who read and follow your fabulous blog and thoroughly enjoy your wonderful company here, I too grew remarkably fond of Dexter’s endearing charm and the way you would describe his exploits with words of absolute love and affection. I will miss him most dearly. I think of all the love that Dex returned to you and how this love will now grow with a divine strength within you and be a part of you in all ways.

        You have the spirit of love and friendship of those that comment here and think so highly of you and Dex, so take what you need from the well of compassion and kindness and be gentle as you need be with Linda.

        Thinking of you. Take care LL.

        Namaste dear friend

        DN – 18/07/2015

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Thank you Dewin for your beautifully moving commentary. I do hope the love I was blessed to receive will live within me and be accessible to all as I live each moment. All who have met Dexter were impacted in some way and most remarked about his warm sweet personality. You never know how you impact others until a crisis occurs. I am so fortunate to belong to such a remarkable network of souls here.

        blessings, Linda

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Dexter will be keep your magenta rose in bloom and place his love more deeply still within its heart…. You’ll always have a feline wing-man to love you, lift you, and heal you…and we’ll always have the warmth and dear friendship of both of you to share here.

        Thank you for your wonderful words 🙂

        Take care Linda.

        Namaste

        DN – 18/087/2015

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Dexter is a hansom Cat.. I am so pleased he is feeling brighter… And Look at those eyes! who can say no to them?… As a Person who has been owned by 4 cats in her adult life and 2 when growing up.. I Know only too well the bond we have with our beloved Cats… So my heart goes out to all who are heartbroken at the loss of a pet.. For they are part of the family..

    I had one wonderful Cat she was 21.. She was amazing like most of us who are Cat lovers when she passed there was a huge gap in our lives.. It was 6 months later when we felt ready to rescue another cat who was 7 at the time, we had her for another wonderful 7 yrs .. Since then we have been pet less apart from some tropical fish.. Our hearts get so broken.. But when I finish work my intention is to adopt again! …

    And those belly rubs are the best! 🙂

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    1. I am a catwoman through and through and Dexter teaches me how to love more frequently and with more zeal 🙂 He also is great at just basking in the loving energy and receiving it so easily. What an awesome teacher. I so understand about the broken hearts and these losses of pets have made me more compassionate. My first real pet was a gerbil and oh was I attached!

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  10. Hey Linda,

    As a cat lover I am touched by your post. There is such a depth of feeling in the way you describe your relationship to Dex, that sense of true loving communion that is shared between you both. His journey through life, especially the rejection that he encountered is particularly moving: that Dex endured such trials in order to be with you is the most wonderful reward for him (for you both perhaps) and so very demonstrative of ‘belief’ and the power that it has to give rise to a vision of hope.

    In my employment, I get to speak to many people throughout the UK, most are vulnerable in one way or another, and during the conversations that come up, many feel impelled to talk about the relationship they have with their pets. One old man with whom I spoke on Friday 25th was a cat owner. He’d had failing vision and deafness for some time, and during that period his cat had taken it upon herself to take care of him in the only way that an animal can, through instinct. He told me that his cat, a female, would not allow him to open the front door to his home until he had allowed her to ‘smell’ the scent of the person calling through the letterbox opening. That’s not to necessarily suggest she would smell the physical odour of someone, but more it was an examination of her intuitive ‘extra-sensory’ perception of them: in the same way as we might determine something ‘odd’ about someone we see in the street perhaps. Anyway, if she didn’t like the ‘smell’ of them, she would climb on his shoulder and gently paw at his eye as a signal to him that he shouldn’t open the door until he’d established the caller’s identity. If she didn’t do this, but jumped down from his shoulder then he knew it was okay to proceed with opening the door. Quite remarkably, or so he said, on two separate occasions when the front doorbell had rung, she had signalled to him not to open the door, and on one of these two occasions, he later found out through being interviewed by the police during their enquiries that the callers had been arrested for breaking and entering into a neighbours property. I could tell in his voice how much he thought of his cat, and how deep their friendship had become. He was such an endearing old soul to talk to and so full of life and joy.

    As for you and Dex…I’ve no doubt the two of you will continue to share the love and friendship of each others company, and in that alone there is beauty enough to keep you both smiling 🙂

    DN – 27/04/14

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    1. Thank you for the kind comment and intriguing story Dewin. your comments are like fine young wine that grow richer and sweeter over time. Dexter is a treasure and I am the lucky one.
      Cat lovers belong to a club where they get to appreciate the quirky nuances of the regal feline:)
      What line of work are you in? It does seem compelling. Hope you had a fine weekend!

      xx Linda and Dex

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    2. Thats an awesome awesome story. gotta love cats. ive had them in all my past lives and am pleased to have had cats in this present incarnation! they are a gift from god sent to help us all on this journey.
      hugs unlimited,
      o and om

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      1. Hehee. I have used term “dog kind of a cat” to that type of cats. Mine was tender to me (and to my mother after I needed to leave her there), but she kept distance to other people. And she could show her mind to me as well. A funny cat, could open all the doors by jumping on the door handles, and so on, and so on…<3

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  14. Me-Ommmmm, Me-Ommmmmmm! Handsome mancat Dexter! I so happy you take good care of your mom! I had to come out of my intensive yoga retreat from blogging to say hi to you! xoxoxox, Me-Ommmmmmmm, Zoe

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    1. Hi Swami Zoe,
      Dex is a handsome devil, you have good taste 🙂
      Thank you so much for coming off retreat to give Dex a shout out. I bet you take good care of your momma Julie too!

      love to you,
      Linda and Dex

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    1. agreed! First I read about James Fielden’s dog and then the next day or so, I read about a similar loss from a FB friend and former coworker. God knew what he/she was doing when she/he created animals for us to honor and cherish!

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