Friends and memories

I bought a box of these cute cat paperclips with a friend who loved cats in mind. I stashed them away for her birthday or Christmas, whatever was coming up next and, as you do, forgot about them by the time the occasion came round.

Sadly, my friend died, coming up to three years ago next month. She got sick and, within months of her diagnosis, she was gone. My planned trip interstate to see her in hospital ended up being a trip to her funeral.

I never gave her the paperclips.

I found them today while I was looking for something else and immediately thought of my friend, her cats, the great times we’d spent together and how overwhelmingly sad it was that she had died at such a young age.

I remember thinking at the time that, despite how sad I was, I was grateful to have had a person in my life who meant so much that losing her hurt so much.

The paperclips reminded me of what people at her funeral had said about her, things I’d known and things I hadn’t. They reminded me of how she had embraced life and lived her life to the fullest. And of how much she had loved her cats. And her shoes.

I have taken these now and clipped some of them into my diary as a reminder of my friend and to encourage me to make the most of every day too, because we never know what tomorrow will bring. 

And they’re also there to remind me that if I see something cool that I want to give as a gift, I don’t have to wait for an occasion to give it. I can give a gift anytime I want to.  

If you would like a little cat paper clip for your diary, to remind you of something or just as a fun accessory, I’d like to share the love. Leave me a comment and I will send you one, until I run out.