Farewell.
Goodbye is hard.
Star illuminated the lives of those around her with joy, mischief, and delightful impudence. Hers was a presence which can never be replaced. She left on the dawn of the supermoon last October.
The supermoon.
Illuminating the night sky for Star.
Star’s final journey brought her to Speyside, where she was revered with the compassion of Josephine.
Her ashes were cast with great care into pebble sculptures shaped after her own paw print. Handcrafted by Jill and Noel of Casting Ashes, each one is evocative of holding on to Star’s paw; they bring tangible comfort.
Two of Star’s pebbles have been returned to nature as part of a ritual to say goodbye. One was left in a pool of water inside the giant sea stack of Garry Beach to be claimed by the ocean. With permission from The Stornoway Trust, another was gently cradled in the natural contours of a tree within the castle grounds in a way that neither alters nor damages the tree.
Star’s paw pebble.
Cradled by a tree.
Today would have been Star’s 14th birthday. To celebrate it, Star’s Grove has been established with Trees for Life to remember her. Trees will be planted in Star’s memory to help restore the ancient Caledonian forest of the Scottish Highlands.
Initially, 14 trees have been added to her grove to symbolise her 14th birthday, and hopefully, it will continue to grow. Anyone can add a tree of their own via her Trees for Life grove page to share their remembrances. Those trees and messages will also be added to Star’s virtual emoji grove on her website.
Also, Star’s Treasure Trail has been completely rebuilt and future-proofed. It will be available to play again soon!
Happy 14th birthday!
