“Grief is the price we pay for love” is a quote from Queen Elizabeth II.
The phrase feels poignant given the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, but also for me as I lost my cat Amy, who was 7, last week, too.
Originally rescued from the streets of Abu Dhabi, she had been with me for five years before she got sick.
I’ll admit during those years there was always some uncertainty about whether I’d stay in the UAE or go elsewhere. And even though I wasn’t sure where the next place would be, I never once imagined going anywhere without her.
When she first came to me, she was malnourished after being dumped on the streets. Her ribs and spine were visible because of how underweight she was. It was a heartbreaking sight to see but I could tell she was a fighter. Over time, she flourished into this beautiful, fluffy cat, all because of some love and care.
When she got ill this time around, she completely stopped eating and started to lose weight quickly. The vet suspected cancer but it was irreversible kidney failure that was causing her health to decline so rapidly.
As a pet parent, I always tried to prepare myself mentally for such a loss because I knew this day would eventually come. Even so, it still hurt — a lot.
Holding her in my arms, I could feel how frail her body had become as she dropped to just 2.9 kilograms from the 4.5kg she once was. Her eyes were sunken, but, looking into them, I could still see the sweet little girl that I’ve loved since the moment she entered my life.
I went for a second opinion, in case there was even a chance to save her. Unfortunately, the second vet came to a similar conclusion. While at the clinic, there were so many tears, but also hugs and kisses and gratitude to her for bringing so much joy into my life.
After the difficult decision was made, it somehow felt like she knew her pain would be ending soon — even though it meant that mine would begin. And I was OK with that, because she deserved the same comfort she had given me for so long in our time together.
In just a few seconds, she was gone. My partner and I stayed in the room as our tears flowed again. We gave her our final kisses and stroked her one last time. I will forever be grateful I had time to say a proper goodbye — something that isn’t always the case.
We went home with an empty cat carrier, a sorrowful reminder of our loss. Sometimes I wonder if Amy knew how deeply I loved her and how much she meant to me.
The pain is still fresh, less than a week on. I look to the chair she used to sleep on or places she would hide around the house. I know that she’s no longer going to come into a room and sit down next to me, but I still look up, just in case.
She taught me so much about life, love and loss and how it's OK to say goodbye when the time is right. While Great Britain mourns their queen, I mourn mine.
Goodbye my sweet Amy, and thank you for everything.
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
The%20specs
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Last-16 Europa League fixtures
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THREE
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