Tigger, Me and the Whole Wide World

Tigger and Pike Place, Seattle

Tigger in Dubrovnik, Croatia

I miss Tigger. He was my best friend for more than ten years. He was always there for me, no matter what. He had a way of making me laugh with his antics and his expressions. He was a smart cat, too. He knew how to open doors, how to play fetch, how to cuddle when I needed it.

He died four months ago. It was sudden and cruel. I didn’t have time to say goodbye. I didn’t have time to do anything. I just watched him fade away, helpless and heartbroken.

I still think of him every day. I still see him in my dreams. I still feel him in my arms. Sometimes I hear his meow or his purr, and I turn around, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. But he’s not there. He’s gone.

But he’s not forgotten. He lives on in my memories, and in my project. A project that I started actually even before he passed away. A project that I call “Tigger’s World Tour”.

You see, Tigger loved to travel. But he never had the opportunity to do so. There were so many places that he didn’t get to see. So many places that I wanted to show him. So many places that I wanted to share with him.

So I decided to bring him with me, in a way. I made a stack of stickers that look like postage stamps, with his portrait.

Whenever I go somewhere new, I stick one of these stickers somewhere visible, somewhere public, somewhere where other people can see it. It’s like leaving a mark of Tigger’s presence, a sign of his spirit, a tribute to his memory.

It’s also like sending him a postcard, telling him where I am and what I’m doing, telling him that I miss him and that I love him.

Tigger has been to many places since he died. He’s been to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. He's also been to Tulum in Mexico, and Santa Monica Pier in the USA. The Hagia Sophia in Turkiye. He’s even been up the Banff Gondola to the Sulphur Mountains. He’s also been to Pike Place Market in Seattle. That's the last spot he visited.

Pike Place is a famous market where you can find all kinds of things: fish and flowers and fruits and vegetables and crafts and souvenirs and more. It’s also where you can find a wall covered with stickers and posters and graffiti and art. A wall that represents the diversity and creativity and history of Seattle.

A wall that has one of Tigger’s stickers on it.

Can you spot it?

It’s not easy to find. It’s hidden among hundreds of other stickers, some old and faded, some new and bright.

But it’s there.

It’s there for anyone who cares to look.

It’s there for anyone who wants to say hi to Tigger.

It’s there for anyone who wants to join me in celebrating his life.

Tigger was more than a cat.

He was my companion.

He was my partner.
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He was my world.

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