Our cat, Grace Mary Schmidt

I’m sharing my thoughts today in remembrance of a good friend of our family: our cat Grace Mary Schmidt. None of us knew her precise age but our best guess was 17. Our daughter, Elaine, named her and included ‘Zebra’ as one of her many middle names. Gracie was very independent, but was always there when someone needed her. When Elaine’s wisdom teeth were removed, Gracie sat atop the couch’s armrest, where Elaine recovered. Whenever I was sad, Gracie would always seem to be there at the right time and place to sit with me and comfort me. I don’t know if all cats do this because I didn’t grow up with any pets. But as other pet owners may have experienced, it seemed that Gracie sensed how we were feeling, whether happy or sad, and was there with us through it all. When I started this business, Gracie loved that there were boxes everywhere that she could climb into, making herself a cozy nest among the bagged socks. When Garret and I officially became empty nesters, Gracie began accompanying me more and more as I stayed up late to work on the business. She’d always rest her head on one of my wrists as I typed. Last year, we launched our ‘My cat loves me – cat lover’ socks, which were inspired by my relationship with her. We truly did love each other. Gracie passed on the Tuesday after Christmas. I am crying happy tears as I write this, because I am grateful that my family and I had such a wonderful friend. Every time I see our ‘cat lover’ socks, I think about how I am thankful to have known Gracie.