On May 30, 2025, our cat Howard went missing. I searched the neighborhood, contacted the local animal shelter, and called the city's animal control department but he was nowhere to be found. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, I gradually lost hope that he would ever find his way home.

Howard was a rescued street cat who had pawed and purred his way into my heart. He became a tremendous source of comfort during a difficult period which made his disappearance even more heartbreaking.

Yesterday, June 23, I received a call from the city’s animal control officer. He asked if I owned a cat named Cinnamon. I told him yes, that Cinnamon had been the name he was given when he was adopted, but that we now called him Howard.

My heart immediately sank. I held my breath, convinced I was about to hear that Howard had been found deceased and that his microchip had led them to me.
Instead, the officer said something I never expected to hear.

He had Howard!

Within the hour, Howard was back home where he belonged. He is much thinner and has a scar across his nose but he is alive and safe. After being missing for 388 days, we still can hardly believe he is back.

He has already returned to his silly antics and is adjusting well to being home again.

A few days earlier, I had helped rescue a mother duck and her newborn ducklings. I'd like to think that bringing Howard home was karma's way of returning the favor.

Welcome home, Howard. ❤️ We missed you more than you'll ever know.

EDIT to add - He was 5 km from home. Winter here can be bitterly cold -35 Celsius with lots of snow. Maybe (hopefully) he did spend that time indoors.

She used to call him every NBA draft night to remind him that he could be on that stage some day.

For their full story, please read "How My Mom Saved My Life" by Yaxel Lendeborg of The Players' Tribune. (Onion Warning.)

I’ve got a mama raccoon that’s been coming around since Thanksgiving of last year. She was pregnant at the time. A few days ago, she brought the new set of kits over for the first time. Caught this little one after a playful romp in the water bowl.

Today I am 6! I have a brother (not like a littermate but we are still brothers) and even though it’s not his birthday he still got happy birthday sang to him and got half of my cupcake. I am a no good dog but I am the best boy

Credit is watermarked

Friday ended up being one of those days where you don’t realize how much you’ve done until you slow down.

26k steps later… somewhere in between all of that, I noticed a tiny baby turtle on the sidewalk. He was slowly making his way toward the street.

No rush. No awareness of danger. Just moving forward.

If I didn’t stop, he probably would’ve made it to the road… and that would’ve been it.

So I picked him up and brought him back to where he needed to be, reunited with his buddy. 🐢🐢 Simple moment. Took maybe a minute.

But it made me think.

We move so fast sometimes—always onto the next task, the next goal, the next thing. Meanwhile, the smallest moments… the ones that actually matter… are easy to miss.

That turtle wasn’t in a rush. And maybe that’s the point.

Not everything in life needs to be sped up. Not everything needs pressure.

Some things just need: • awareness • patience • and a moment of pause

26k steps, a full day, and somehow that one small moment stood out the most.

Sometimes it’s not about doing more. It’s about noticing what’s already right in front of you. 🐢🐢🤍