I appreciate being able to share this with folks who can understand.

I'm something of a loner, and I don't have that many friends--if that is anyone's fault, it is mine, but that's really the way I prefer it--so this has been a difficult time for me. Ingrid took care of me to the best of her ability. I tried my best to do the same for her.

People are quick to say stuff like "Get another cat," but it's awfully early even to consider that. Those people are usually the same ones who talk about "owning" a pet. That ain't the kind of relationship Ingrid and I had. Yes, I was the boss in some ways, deciding where we'd live and when she could go outside and what was safe for her to chew on, but all of Ingrid that was mine was what she gave to me of her own will. That's what I miss so badly.

If Ingrid still is someplace, I hope that she is okay.

I've heard the Rainbow Bridge stories, and whether that happens or not, it is a nice thought.

What happens after we die? I don't know. In truth, I don't think anybody actually does know. However, I respect everyone's right to believe as they choose. And one thing of which I am absolutely positive is that if we have souls, then Ingrid does, too. A friend of mine who usually refers to himself as an atheist has commented that "You know, Tom, regardless of whether God exists or not, there is a certain energy in all living beings, and it is contrary to all known laws of this universe that that energy would simply disappear. It has to go somewhere."

Another friend treasures this quotation from Depak Chopra (who also quotes Buddha):

"We are travelers on a cosmic journey—stardust swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal but the expressions of life are ephemeral, momentary, transient.

The Buddha once said:

'This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds; to watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance; a lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by like torrents down a steep mountain.

We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other; to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment but it is transient—it is a little parenthesis in eternity. If we share with caring, lightheartedness and love, we will create abundance and joy for each other and then this moment will have been worthwhile.'"