REST IN POWER KING JOE
In honor of Joey, our sweet boy, our beautiful cat, my friend and companion.
I met Joey in late summer 2013, when I was going through some major transitions. I was starting a rigorous doctoral program in psychology and lost my mother to her battle with ovarian cancer a few days before I needed to move down to California. I moved in with a few ladies who had relocated from the east coast. As fate would have it, my room must’ve experienced some earthquake effects because you could NOT close my bedroom door without absolutely body-slamming yourself against it. When his original caregiver was away, he always pushed his way into my room. I wonder if he could tell how deeply depressed, I was having lost my best friend, my mother, so recently. To be honest, I was having some dark, frightening thoughts during this time. I think Joey knew and came into my (un-closable) room to comfort me and keep me company. When his original mommy asked if I could adopt him a few months after we had all moved out of that apartment it was an enthusiastic “YES!” And the rest is history. Mr. Joe, Mr. Bub, Yosep, Giuseppe, the Snugglepuss, my honey- you were the most incredible, fun, intelligent, comforting, loving companion. You’ve been there for me through so many ups and downs: stressful externships, Erik and I meeting and falling in love, writing a dissertation, applying to internship, getting engaged, moving to Reno for internship, applying for postdoctoral fellowships, graduating with my doctoral degree, moving BACK to the Bay, planning a wedding, POSTPONING a wedding because of a pandemic, becoming licensed, starting my first job, getting married, and settling into life- you were there to comfort me through it all. We’ve gone from San Mateo to Mountain View to SF to Reno, NV, to Pacifica, and finally back to SF. You are so loved and will be deeply missed, thanks for all the laughs, all the cuddles, all the adventures. The memories in the heart will never fade.
-Kathryn P. & Erik L.