Sixteen years ago today.......

Today is December 9th.

Sixteen years ago today, I adopted Tyler and brought him to his forever home.

Sixteen years.  My lord, has it really been that long?

I've done many things in my life, who hasn't?  I've made many good decisions, and I've made as many, if not more, poor decisions in my nearly 43 years.

Without a doubt, finding Tyler at Little Shelter, and running back there to adopt him and bring him home on this date in 2000 was the best decision I've ever made.

I've never had a bond with any other being on this earth, feline or human, like I had with Tyler.

I never will.

I miss you, old man.  Hard to believe you're gone almost 2 1/2 years.  It seems so long, and it also seems like only yesterday.  I wish you were still here, I wish you could see how great Ashley, Peter and I are doing. I miss your head buts, I miss your purr, I miss how clean you always smelled, even towards the end when you were sick.  I miss holding you like a baby and staring out the front door with you while feeling how soft your foot pads were.  I miss your majorly long whiskers, how you would not stop bothering me until I got up to play with you.  I miss how you would chase and bounce a ball all over the apartment until it would stop, then look at me to keep the play going.  I miss how you never left my side, through thick or thin, bad or good, your unswerving loyalty was an inspiration to me.

I miss our connection.

Thank you for being the best cat in the history of cats, old man.  I hope you and Tiger are ruling the roost at the Rainbow Bridge.

I can't wait to see you again.

Here is his original contact, signed on this date in 2000.

Here's the first picture I ever took of him in our home.  I'm sure you've seen this one before: