RALEIGH – A Tribute to Friendship:
To the Friend of My Youth: To Kitty
By: Kate Chopin (1850-1904)
“It is not all of life
To cling together while the years glide past.
It is not all of love
To walk with clasped hands from first to last.
That mystic garland which the spring did twine
Of scented lilac and the new-blown rose,
Faster than chains will hold my soul to thine
Thro’ joy, and grief, thro’ life–unto its close.”
On this day in 1900, American author and poet Kate Chopin published this tribute to her childhood companion, Katherine “Kitty” Garasché, to commemorate Kitty’s milestone 50th birthday.
In the poem, Chopin penned feelings of an unwavering bond that developed from accepting the natural ebb and flow of a lifelong friendship.
She reminds us that physical proximity is not essential for maintaining “closeness” with childhood friends; what keeps the connection strong is simply having an appreciation for the relationship itself and acknowledging the “mystic garland” that permeates the journey of growing up (and older) together.
Comparatively, on this day in 1997, my personal version of “Kitty” – who just so happens to have been a real cat, literally – was born.
Today, Chopin’s century-old homage to deep-rooted friendship is now dedicated To the Friend of MY Youth, Sapphire (“Sapphie”) and the unrivaled companionship she provided me throughout 21 years of shared joy, grief, and all of life’s smaller moments in between— “unto its recent close.”
In Loving Memory
Sapphire (“Sapphie”)
August 24, 1997- July 31, 2018
Editor’s note: This posting was authored by B.R. Craven and is dedicated to those who have lost a dear pet and thus know the degree of emotional pain that can be precipitated by such a death or disappearance. Sapphie was indeed a loving. loyal, and dedicated feline who provided comfort in times of despair, companionship during times of need, and even entertainment in her own unique and “queenly” manner. She is, and always will be, missed terribly, and her death leaves a void that can never be filled.
