At the start of December we said our goodbyes to Big Max, pictured above. I write this post four weeks to the day after he left us and two plus years after he first came to stay. December seems to be a time of beginnings and endings; the end of one year and the start of another; one is full of memories , the other full of hopes and dreams. The solstice marks the longest night. Slowly and incrementally the days begin to stretch and the darkness, while not in retreat, starts to delay its appearance by minutes every day. So much has been said and written about time and loss, less about what it means to live and die well when the time comes to go. Max lived well when he was with us and his last years were full of love and small adventures. Now he is gone, I seem to have a lot of time of my hands but I can use it to reflect on what we can learn from our more than human friends - stoicism, acceptance, letting go of the past and living fully in the moment, playing even when you are old and taking pleasure in the smallest of things. As we go towards 2025, ready to meet all that is known and unknown in the world, I hope we can all be more Max. I know I will try to be. Happy New Year all!
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