They Called Him Mr. Tibbs

Earlier this month I helped my daughter and her family bury their beloved cat, Tybee (a.k.a. Ty, Tiger, Mr. Tibbs). It was Thursday morning when they found him lying outside of my granddaughter's bedroom door. I'm certain it was not by chance that he landed there because he had been a part of Samantha's life since she entered this world over 7 1/2 years ago. There was a genuine bond between Ty and my granddaughter and I believe that he wanted to be as close to her as possible.

After I got the news that Ty had passed and that the girls wanted him to be buried here on the farm I made it my mission to find a suitable resting place for this sweet cat. That place was in the wildflower garden in the woods not far from the park bench. I thought he would then be remembered whenever we  took a walk down back.

It was evening by the time my daughter and her family arrived with Ty. Both granddaughters donned winter coats since the weather had turned much colder and the wind was whipping across the fields and through the trees. Fur trimmed hoods hid the girls' faces as we gathered around the gravesite. They stood stoic as we talked about what a special fellow "Mr. Tibbs" was and how incredibly patient he had been with both of them; and how he brought great comfort to the family during a very difficult moment in time. A lighthearted poem was then read in Mr. Tibbs' remembrance. 

I'd designated a small iron garden ornament that appeared to be a section of fence (in miniature form) as the marker for Ty's grave. Once the grave was covered, Samantha quickly walked over to the ornament and in one swift motion extracted it from its original location and then attempted to insert it next to Ty's grave. Her determination was obvious as she quietly struggled to embed it into the hard ground. It took a little assistance from her dad to accomplish the task but, rest assured, she will now be able to find her special friend's final resting place.

As the sun began to set and we retreated from the garden, I was touched by something Samantha said. I  don't know if it was meant for anyone in particular or simply reinforcement for herself but she spoke these sweet words:  "I will walk back here and talk to Ty every time I come to visit."