He Carried Me Through Every Chapter—Now I Carry His Memory in My Heart

For 19 beautiful years, Simon was more than a cat. He was a constant. A quiet witness to the journey of a girl who grew into a scholar, researcher, and everything.

Through school halls and lecture rooms, long nights of study and the lonely stress of deadlines, Simon was always there—curled up close, purring softly, reminding her she wasn’t alone.

With his big blue eyes and curious habits, Simon was a character. He had a habit of dipping one paw into his water dish to check the level—and sometimes that meant a soggy paw planted right on his human’s face in the middle of the night.

She eventually got him a water fountain to save her sleep (and a pillow). But even that was just part of his charm.

Simon moved home with the family twice before finally becoming her full-time companion through graduate school and into her post-doctoral life.

He adapted to every change gracefully, even in his later years, when cataracts slowly took his vision. Still, he navigated his world with trust, leaning on the love that had always surrounded him.

He was there during her lowest days when doubts crept in and the pressure felt too much. And in those moments, Simon never asked for anything—just to be near. A soft body across her lap. A paw stretched out. A steady heartbeat saying, “I’m here.”

In the final weeks, Simon’s health declined sharply. Breathing grew difficult, his appetite faded, and no treatment seemed to help.

She tried everything, refusing to give up on the companion who had never given up on her. On her birthday, the vet gently said nothing more could be done.

She held onto him for just a few more days, savoring each breath, each moment. And today, she said goodbye.

Walking out of the vet’s office without him, she carried more than just an empty carrier—she carried a missing piece of her heart.

Simon was deeply, endlessly loved. And that love doesn’t end here.

He may no longer be curled at her feet or purring in her ear, but his paw prints are pressed into her soul.

He walked with her through nearly two decades of life—and now she walks forward with his memory lighting the way.

Sleep well, sweet Simon. Thank you for every quiet comfort, every warm night, every moment of pure love. You will always be part of the story.