Theo van Daele wrote:

She's still gone, but I hope she's just tangled in some love orgy (she was a
bit frisky last week...) and will come back when ... erm... you know

My Maine Coon Chelsea got out (she's indoor only) a couple of years ago.
She was gone for about two weeks - long enough for my heart to crash
- when she miraculously returned all on her own. All hope is not lost.

I can't help feeling it's probably a bit silly to feel miserable about such
things, my rational side says there are much more important "things" in life
(or are there ?), yesterday was 9/11 (yes, even we Europeans can't just
forget those images, well, at least I can't), but on the other hand, maybe
it's good that we haven't forgotten to feel sad like that for a dead fish or
a missing animal. Like when we were kids. It probably means we haven't
gone totally cynical ?

Can't get cynical. The 9/11 disaster really pointed this out to me. My
40th b'day was two days later. Like many others, I was a little worried
about what 40 would mean (highly unusual for me to worry about getting
another year older) but after I thought about how many people would not
be fortunate enough to celebrate another one, how I basically came to
the conclusion that "how dare I be depressed?".

That's perhaps a good thing ? I do struggle with it though.

One must know the bad to recognize the good. Feel pain to know joy.

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu