April 8, 2024

Total Eclipse of the Heart

By Joe

I didn’t know it at the time, but an event occurred on this day eight years ago that would change my life. Somewhere in Maryland, a small black kitten was brought into this world. For whatever reason, she and her brothers and sisters were taken to a shelter. Around two months later, she was taken north to an animal shelter in Vermont where they gave her the name Bridget. Two months and ten days after her birth, a very sad man walked into that shelter, saw her hiding under a chair, and fell in love with the little black furball he found there. If you haven’t guessed I was than man, and that little black furball hiding under a chair was Isabella.

When I adopted Isabella, I was suffering from the worst depression of my life. A little over six months before, I’d lost a very important person in my life to a tragic car accident. Susan helped me through that terrible time, but she lived/lives in New York City, or Manhattan as she’d correct me. However, I was alone in Vermont, and I had never felt so alone in my life. The song referenced above (and yes, it came to mind because of the total eclipse today) begins with the lyrics:

Every now and then I get a little bit lonely
Every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears

That pretty much described me eight years ago.

But, Isabella and her love came into my life. It didn’t take her long to get comfortable in her new surroundings, and she began following me all around my apartment. She still prefers to be in the same room where I am. Isabella became a great comfort to me. She’s never been cuddly except laying on my hip and just being near me, but there are times when she looks at me so lovingly, it warms my heart. I’m not sure I’d have survived if I had not adopted that little black kitten named Bridget (that name had to go immediately, my cats are always queens and while there was a 12th century queen of Sweden named Bridget she was a queen consort, not a queen in her own right like Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom or Queen Isabella of Castile).

The picture above of Isabella as a kitten was taken the day I adopted her. The pictures below were taken in the days and weeks after her adoption.

About Joe

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I began my life in the South and for five years lived as a closeted teacher, but am now making a new life for myself as an oral historian in New England. I think my life will work out the way it was always meant to be. That doesn't mean there won't be ups and downs; that's all part of life. It means I just have to be patient. I feel like October 7, 2015 is my new birthday. It's a beginning filled with great hope. It's a second chance to live my life…not anyone else's. My profile picture is "David and Me," 2001 painting by artist Steve Walker. It happens to be one of my favorite modern gay art pieces. View all posts by Joe
This entry was posted on Monday, April 8th, 2024 at 6:00 am and posted in Isabella. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

2 responses to “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

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