Sprocket and I spent most of the weekend at my parents' house. I feel like I take him everywhere I go these days; but I don't have a cat sitter anymore because Mrs. Todd (my 82-year-old neighbor who doesn't act a day over 50) is in China for six weeks. She is Sprocket's biggest fan and has agreed to take care of him if something ever happens to me (a promise even my parents refuse to make). But for now, she can't take care of him at all because she is on the other side of the world. Sprocket is stuck with me.

It's amazing how much I miss Mrs. Todd, even though I really didn't spend much time with her. Sometimes I would go over to her apartment and we'd watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Sometimes we'd go out to eat or go for a walk. Most of the time we didn't, and now that she's out of town I want to see her every night. Every time Jeopardy comes on I miss her company, and when I go for a walk, it isn't the same without her. And even though he hasn't told me as much, I think Sprocket misses her, too. She used to walk up to the window where he would sit and she'd talk to him through the glass. And when she'd watch him for me, she'd always give him more food than I would. She is kind of like a surrogate grandmother to him.

She won't return until a week before I leave. It hasn't really hit me yet, but I'm already pretty sad about it. I'm glad she has this opportunity to go to China, though. She was a missionary to China for a number of years, and she's gone back now to visit many of the friends she made during her years there. She isn't afraid of anything. She's got spunk and energy and she never has met a stranger. She is definitely a huge role model for me. Not that I'll ever be like her, but I definitely have something to aspire to. And someone to be so grateful for.

So I guess here's my message for today: Appreciate the people who mean a lot to you. Call them, stop by to see them, ask them to go out to eat or something. Enjoy them while they're right next door. Because one day they'll go to China (or some other equally far away place) on an extended visit, and by the time they get back, you'll be leaving. And that's not a good feeling at all.