Greg and Flash

GREG & FLASH

9/13/79-9/25/97 3/91-9/8/99

OUR FAMILY GROWS

Flash the cat became a member of our family in March, 1991. We were in Columbus, Ohio for a year while Greg was being treated medically and undergoing behavior modification therapy at Ohio State University Hospital. We were living in an apartment complex while Greg was receiving outpatient therapy. One day Greg and another boy came to the door with a very young kitten. Greg was very excited and begged me to let him keep it. The last thing that I needed at that particular point was a kitten to care for; so I told the boys that they would have to talk with the boy's father and make sure that the kitten was old enough to leave its mother. I thought that I was going to win this one; I was wrong. The boys came back a few minutes later and informed me that Greg could keep the kitten. As it turned out, the kitten was too young to eat kitten food and was in fact sick. At least she used her litter box. I cooked rice in chicken broth for her to eat and spent a small fortune on vet. bills. Flash adapted very quickly to living with us. She got used to Greg's loud voice and learned how to keep out of his way.

Flash got her name because she was so fast. She could and still can get from point "a" to point "b" without being seen. Sometimes we could see an orange blur go by. One can hear her because she sounds like she has boots on, even on carpet. I don't know how she does it.

**I had to put Flash on Greg's lap and quickly take the pictures.**

LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER

Flash has always been for all practical purposes, a one person cat. She owns me and lets anyone who approaches know it. On several occasions Greg became very upset because Flash preferred my lap to his. He never understood that she would not spend long on his lap because he always became so excited that he scared her away. Anytime Flash would get on his lap he would start yelling for me to come and look; as a result she would jump down and run away. Even though there was not a lot of physical contact between Flash and Greg, I knew that they loved each other very much. Flash and Greg enjoyed playing hide and seek. Greg would hide and Flash would then speed past him before he could touch her. When Greg died, Flash would not get on my lap for several days. She spent most of her time in his apartment under his bedcovers. I tried closing the door between the main part of the house and the apartment but, she would then sit and stare at the door for hours. She still spends time there when she wants to be alone.

**Flash surfing the web on my computer!!!**

LIVING WITHOUT GREG

Life has gone on since Greg's death. Flash still spends a lot of time on my lap when I watch television. She still runs through the house "talking". Occasionally we play hide and seek. Everything is different. The house is very quiet now. There is no one yelling, "mom, come here. I need you". I spend most of the time at home alone with Flash. I am seated at my computer a lot more. It makes the hours pass so I can go to bed and dread the dawn of another day missing a hug from Greg, a kiss on my cheek and hearing him say; "I love you, mom". I still go out and get the mail everyday. Flash and I still go camping sometimes. Still, things are different. I don't get up in the morning and fix breakfast for Greg and make sure that he brushes his teeth. I don't meet his school bus in the driveway after school. I don't have my best friend to go out to eat with. All and all, life is mostly empty without Greg but, the worst thing is; I can't do anything about it. Oh well, I guess I'll just clean out the cat box and go to bed. After all, tomorrow is another day.

**Flash looking at Koi fish from a distance. Greg trying one more time to pet Flash . Flash watching out the window as a squirrel eats..**

UPDATE: August 8, 1999, 5:30p.m. Flash just passed away. We were involved in a terrible automobile accident on I-95 in Florida on June 16, 1999. A truck ran into the back of my travel trailer and as a result we turned over and came to a stop upside down. When I found Flash she did not appear to be injured. Since the accident she started to lose weight and blood was found in her urine. She failed to respond to treatment and progressed into kidney failure. She is now with Greg. I'm sure that he is very happy to see her. I miss them both so very much. I now now have a new kitten named Peanut. She is a real live wire. Living with her is like having a toddler in the house. She is into and on top of everything.

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