Dear Pepito, though you are no longer with us physically,
Your spirit lives on forever in a place of beauty.
And though you are now happy, strong, and whole,
You have left us with only bittersweet memories to comfort us.

You were always a strong man. We never doubted you would recover.
But in the end, the disease proved too strong for all of us.
You were ready to go, and we helped free your body despite our grief.

Your passing was unanticipated and premature at eight years old,
But even if we’d had ten years more together,
it would have been just as difficult to let you go.
But if we had known, those final days would have been sweeter -
Every word a bit kinder, every cuddle a bit longer, every moment more precious.

The days following your passing have been hollow.
Your absence has left a void that is impossible to fill.
You were always a constant in our lives,
Now our house is less of a home for you not being there.

We made you many promises in your short life.
Every move, we promised the next would be better.
When we finally made the big move to a better life for all of us,
Your time had come, and you had no chance to enjoy it.
I regret deeply that I ran out of time to fulfill my promises to you.

In my mind, I can feel your strong healthy body in my arms.
I can hear your sweet little meow, so incongruous to your size,
And I can hear your stern admonishing meow too, so amusing in its own way.
I can feel your paw around my hand as I knuckle-rub your forehead,
And your diesel engine purr, so strong I thought
you might explode with the force of your happiness.

Now poignant memories are all I have to remind me of the time we shared.
I’d give anything to feel you in my arms one more time.
But I know that we will all be together again one day,
Whether in this life or the next,
And you’ll never have to leave my arms again.

You were more than a pet, you were part of our family –
A companion, grandpa, father, son, lover, and above all, friend.
And you were and always will be
Our beautiful Little Man.