Lisa Wells heard that tributes to their family’s kitty, who spent most his days lounging along a bike trail in Edwardsville, Illinois, had taken over the 9-foot-tall orange cat sculpture dedicated to him.
As she biked up to a makeshift shrine of flowers, stuffed animals, handmade crafts and photos, she noticed a woman holding a piece of paper in a plastic sleeve.
“Oh, you’re Newt’s family,” she says, recognizing Lisa. She was planning to add her letter to the pile of mementos surrounding the memorial that sprung up after Newt’s death last month. She handed the printed page with her story on it to Lisa.
Through losing a parent, Covid, and a cancer diagnosis and treatment, getting out on the trail and visiting with you always made things better. You brought pure and simple joy and made us better humans. Thank you for the impact you made on us as individuals and as a community. The trail will never be the same without you. We love you, little friend. You will live on in the hearts of so many.”
People are also reading…
… [remaining content has been omitted for brevity]
