During that period, my emotional and physical health wasn't great. I was in a rather fragile and pessimistic state. But Dabai was incredibly sweet. He would always stick close to me, nestling his head into my neck, his fluffy warmth making me feel like my hope would never be lost and that my love was being reciprocated.
Sometimes, he felt even more important than a partner because the sense of security he provided was stronger than what a partner could offer. After Dabai passed away, I tried to convince myself that I wasn't sad. But it was difficult, so I learned to face and get through it. Later, I contacted Lucy, an artist from the well-known hand-drawn brand Luck, to commission a custom portrait of Dabai. It was a family photo we had taken.
Looking back, I realized that during the time I spent with Dabai, I had truly cherished every day and did everything I could. So, I shouldn't have so many regrets. Afterward, I would still miss Dabai a lot and would often gaze at his portrait in a daze, but his death didn't hit me as hard as I thought it would.
This experience has allowed me to face death with a more relaxed attitude. Because I know that we can cherish each other and express our love before death is even close, leaving no regrets. When death does come, we have already done everything we could, making it easier to face. After death, the person left behind at least has many good memories to hold onto.
I think that even if one day someone very important to me leaves, when I think of them again, all the happy moments will come to mind, and that is a sign of a good relationship. Just like with Dabai, I know that our connection hasn't disappeared. We still have our memories, just no more future together.
Later, I adopted another cat named Meimei. People often ask why she's called Meimei, and I say it's because we used to have a "big brother" in the family.
