The little deaf cat who began her life with me as a distant and defensive, emotionally neglected one-year-old grew into one of my greatest friends through our fifteen years together; she became the cat who spent all day in the window watching and waiting for me to come home and bestowing upon me her fervent greeting when I arrived, who slept on me every single night, who followed me around the house waiting for me to sit down...She was a real free spirit, absolutely fearless, unconcerned about her looks as truly beautiful creatures can afford to be, and usually off in some alternate reality. "My little princess" became one of the greatest inspirations for artwork, and it was not just her luxurious looks but her emotional freedom as well which have made her the subject of several works to date, and no doubt many more as the years pass.

Sally was filled with the joy of being alive--she awoke every morning, gathered her abundant energy and made every moment of the day the best it could possibly be, never spending time on what she didn't have or couldn't do. As all of my feline companions have taught me lessons in life and love, so Sally taught me this lesson, reinforced especially in her last days: even when her life was far from comfortable and she could barely carry out simple daily activities, she simply didn't do what she could no longer do, and awoke and gathered what energy she had left and did what she could to make every moment, until her last, lived to the fullest.