Silty left us quietly last night after being one of my best girl friends for the past 16 years. She taught me a lot about being fearless and sure about yourself.

The word “no” and the phrase “you shouldn’t do that” were not part of her vocabulary.

She enjoyed simple pleasures like warming herself in a sunny window and sitting on my lap weekend mornings while I ate breakfast and attempted to read the paper as she stole a bite of my breakfast.

She also taught me about going after what you want in life. My husband found her one day walking around the offices of an engineering company he was working for in Riveria Beach, Florida. She was only a few months old and had been living in the industrial yard behind the building. There were automatic doors from the yard into the offices and labs because of the heavy equipment they would have to move in and out, and she just walked through those doors one day in search of a new home. At the time, we had a huge menagerie and had just lost an 18 year old cat. I thought we just couldn’t find room in our home or hearts for another furry creature, but he brought her home, and we all fell in love with each other immediately.

I know she had a good life and was well cared for and loved, but we will miss her.