This mural, like most projects, came at the right time for us. Just two days before we started the mural, we lost our oldest cat, Willy. It was a day I knew was coming (and had struggled to take my eye off of since Reddington passed), but, when it came, it came hard. 

This mural project gave us a medium to start the grieving process, and, most importantly, got us out of the house and creating. We poured Willy's favorite parts of Albert Lea, the flowers and the sunshine, into the mural. Willy never was able to go outside when we lived in Texas and, since we moved to Minnesota, Willy was able to discover the wonders of all four seasons himself in Albert Lea and there was nothing better we could have given him for his last year.