Our sweet Mr. Gray crossed the Rainbow Bridge on April 13, 2022. He came into our lives on January 12, 2016 (which I had forgotten I captured on video). He walked onto our back deck in Grove Park when he was around 2-years old. We would later find out Gray was a neighborhood stray. It immediately amazed me at how friendly he was, especially with our son Kingston. We started taking care of him and, after he got injured climbing a neighbor’s fence, we moved him inside with us for good.
He and Marshall (our other cat) soon became like brothers, and Kingston had found his new best friend. Once Ava was born, Gray was just as friendly to her. She loved her “Gray Gray.”
In fact, I’ve never known a cat that loved people as much as Gray did. Every morning when I’d take the kids to school, he would climb in the front window to say goodbye. When we’d get home, he’d be the first thing we’d see coming through the door.
He watched many football, basketball, or baseball games on TV with us. Gray loved snuggling up with us, as you can see in almost every photo of him. He was beyond sweet and always seemed his happiest when he was with us. He loved to be rubbed behind his ears. And he liked to give you his paw when he wanted more rubs.
This has been hard for our family, since it happened so suddenly. Gray was our younger cat. I had always envisioned him being there as Kingston graduated high school. They are roughly the same age.
In the days since Gray’s passing, the hurt hasn’t gone away. Obviously, we still miss him. We always will. Lately, however, we have been able to focus more on the six-plus years we had with him and all the wonderful memories we shared together.
To our Gray Gray, Gray Bae, Gray, Mr. Gray: you chose our family. And we, in return, chose you all those years ago. It was the greatest blessing we could ever ask for. We will always love you. And we will see you again one day.
-Lee, Blair, Kingston, Ava, and Marshall
