Happy Birthday, Mr. Squiggles!

Today is Mr. Squiggles' birthday.  He is 9 years old.  We have so many reasons to celebrate today.  This time last year, Mr. Squiggles was missing, and had been for almost 8 months.  (If you aren't familiar with his story, start here.)  His birthday was a day we just wanted to skip.  We missed him every single day, looked for him every single day, never gave up hope that he would come back to us.  But still, May 4th was hard.  But then, every day was hard.

Today, it's strange to look back on where we were a year ago.  Some days I can almost, almost, forget what we went through.  Yet we will never forget.  I try not to think about those dark days--by this time I had experienced so much loss and pain in such a short period of time--because it's easier to block them out than to think about them.  Thinking about them won't change things, won't make it all go away.  And honestly, all that matters is that our boy is home.  He came back to us. 

I marvel every single day that we got him back.  He is our miracle cat, a perfect match to our miracle dog.  I still stare into his eyes every single day, one of which is so unfamiliar to me, yet the other remains the same, the one that belongs to the boy I always knew and loved.  And amazingly, he has the same personality, only now he is slightly more confident, slightly more assured in what he wants, because, after what he's been through, he knows without a doubt what that is.  We still have litter box wars, and when he's mad, he still pees on the floor.  And you know what?  That's okay.  I can clean it up, or just get a new rug.  It's replaceable.  But you know what's not?  My sweet boy. 

So, happy birthday to my little Mr. Squiggles.  I wish there was a gift I could give you to celebrate this day in the way it deserves to be celebrated.  Getting you back is one of the best gifts I've ever been given.  Happy Birthday, little guy.