Goodbye, Our Friend Finn

Well, once again it's been forever since I have made an entry... but not because I don't want to or don't have anything to post about... but due to fact that I always feel excessively busy and constantly stressed out about my lack of time. In return, I go into these "shut down" phases when I don't do anything productive at all and resort to sleeping or playing video games until the weight has appeared to have been lifted. Anyway, I have a ton of stuff that should be posted... still have a lot to catch you up on. Unfortunately, the theme of this post will be a sad one about a loss that I need to share my feelings about.


On February 25th, Mason's very beloved cat, Finn had crossed over the Rainbow Bridge from what we believed to be old age. I won't go into the specifics because there isn't any reason to provide all the details, but he passed (to which I believe was peaceful, even though a loss like this is nothing like you see in the movies...) with us lovingly by his side until the very end, which I could tell in return, made him very happy. We also saw the signs a couple weeks before his passing that he was very much ready to say his goodbyes and I hope we have done it in the best way possible to make him the most comfortable and happy in his last moments. I am truly devastated by this and haven't been able to get it off my mind since it has happened. On top of my own sadness, I feel almost double as sad because I know Mason is hurting even more. But I know time will help and the constant reminder about the Circle of Life and the good memories that Mason (and I) has shared with him, our hearts will eventually heal.


A little bit of the story about Finn:

Finn was Mason's cat, so I have had only met him the day I first came over to Mason's house back on October 9th (my birthday), 2020. Ever since, I had been greeted by Finn's cute little face every Friday when I come to stay for the weekends. Like clockwork, he would meet us in the kitchen as we would be bringing in the groceries and I would pet him to say hello. At first, it took him a couple weeks of seeing me to get used to me but like the Cat Whisperer that I am, we soon became friends. (Of course, I think it's also partly because I won his affection over by giving him —TREAAAATS—! and because I would always make sure to give him an extra one.) He would always approach me while we watched TV and find a way to slide his way under my hand when I wasn't paying attention (a power he had that I couldn't quite understand...). He would also stay up with me for a few hours after Mason went to bed and kept me company as I worked on the computer. Every Sunday as I was leaving, I would always call out "BYYEEE FINN" even with knowing very well he was upstairs ignoring the world... the way cats tend to do. Occasionally, Mason would even tell me about the weeks he would keep to himself and only make his appearance when I showed up. It made me feel flattered, like I was a good step-dad and friend. I will forever miss the way he used to fix the creases in the carpet with his paws, patting me on the back of my hand with his paw telling me he wanted pets and the way he constantly used his cat scratcher that I would jokingly call his "toilet brush". Even at the times that we weren't at Mason's house, we would still be constantly thinking or singing cat songs about him. He was always there and it's very hard for me to think about how different it's going to be now that he isn't.

As a Christian, I know it has been said that animals don't go to heaven. I definitely have to disagree with that and I always remember a dream that I once had one night when I was younger:

I was flying over a large field. It was a beautiful valley, something that you would see in a Bob Ross painting or a Windows XP wallpaper and when I was looking down, the place was covered with animals. Cats, dogs, hamsters... you name it. Stretching for miles, it was like a pet party... there were thousands of them. In the center, was Jesus Himself, and He was throwing a Frisbee and playing fetch with a dog. He was just playing with all of the animals and a gut feeling took me over and I knew it had been pets that have passed away on Earth.

There is room for pets in heaven... if there weren't, God wouldn't have had Noah make it a priority to save them. However, the point I'm trying to make is... that I know Finn will be looking down over us and waiting for the day for us to arrive. Until then, I know he's up there playing with Jesus and catching butterflies... and it helps a lot for me to believe this.


Another way it helps me to move on from the loss of a pet is to write a letter addressed to them and I have done it ever since I was a little kid:

So goodbye, our friend Finn. Being here to witness your final hours was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do... but I am glad I was here with Mason to help you pass across the Rainbow Bridge. I believe we were good friends and even though I wish we had gotten more than two years to play and get to know each other, I know there'll be plenty of time once we meet again. You did well, buddy. Go enjoy the sunshine and have a big handful of salmon treats... you definitely deserve it. Your presence and the joy you brought to Mason's house will be forever cherished and missed dearly.

R.I.P.

With love, your friend, Nathan