Ode to a Jellicle Cat ...

I found out last night that, Gladys, aka The Bag, aka Queen Cat of Christendom,
cat of Annie (sister of my soul, mentor, friend, confidant, mother of my two favoritest children)
and Zach (cousin, coolest family member award for the past 10 years, father of my two favoritest children) ... passed on to the Heaviside Layer ... or in plainer terms ... has passed away.

That was not only confusing to write, but I'm sure confusing to read. My apologies. But how do I summarize the passing of the coolest cat I've ever known? How do I explain that this cat was more than a cat - she was just as much a part of this family as any other human? She helped raise children, she comforted the sick and sad, could levitate like Yoda, and held the wisdom of the world within her half-lidded eyes. This was the cat that could turn the most adamant "dog person" into a lover of felines. She was the feline reincarnation of Mother Teresa, Queen Elizabeth I, and Buddha.

Okay. I exaggerate slightly. But the powers of this incredible cat are truly unparalleled. I have never been fond of musicals, but I firmly believe that Gladys, in all her glory, is ascending to the Heaviside Layer . (The musical of course, comes from TS Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practicle Cats, and therefore, I don't mind referencing it ... particularly as TS Eliot is one of my top 10 favorite poets) And in her ascendency, I can't wait for Gladys to come back in her next form - to rule the world again. I can only hope I'm lucky enough to know her when she comes.