I adopted a black kitten and named it Thomas because there was once a cat I knew, but didn’t get to meet, who was named Tom.

One of the worst days to occur over that year and (almost) a half span was the day Tom died because I wasn’t to blame for the sadness that followed. When you think about the people you love experiencing pain, you want to manage it. At least if you’re responsible for causing that pain, you know how to stop it.

When you’re not, you just have to wait it out.