.....And What The Cat Said.....

After 'what the dog taught me,' the other four-legged creatures in my life decided it was their time for a look-in....but it wasn't quite what I might have expected.

Right now, I seem to know a lot of people going through enormous changes in their lives. Some of those are in their professional lives and some intensely personal, and all of it is pretty major. There's very little I can do to help practically - all I can offer is an ear, a hug, lots of love and empathy. Yesterday I found myself inwardly railing at the injustice of it all the things that some of these gals are going through, and none of it their doing. It seems so often that it's the really nice folks who bear the brunt of other people's nastiness and selfishness, and I'm so mad and so sad that my friends have been put in these situations.

Upshot was, late yesterday I found myself in tears. Now, I know from my holistic therapist training that this is not necessarily a good thing. Sure, I'm going to cry if those I love are hurting - wouldn't you? Wouldn't anyone? But I also know that it doesn't help to be a weeping wreck if you're trying to give something positive to a person who is in a very negative place. Pulling negative thoughts into an already negative situation isn't going to help anyone.

Where do the four-legged ones come in? It's like this. One of my cats likes to curl up next to me at night. I find his presence hugely comforting - in fact, when I'm away from home, I really miss his soothing purr. True to form, knowing I was tired and out of sorts, he came in for a cuddle just before I turned off the light, and I think he was there pretty much all night.

Then I had the oddest dream.

I dreamed that all the cats I've ever owned came to visit me, with all the purring and hugs and love they could muster. I was overwhelmed to see them, and the joy I felt was indescribable. When I woke, I felt quite tearful because the dream was so moving, and while I'm a little tearful now writing about it, in fact as the day goes on, I've noticed how much calmer and stronger I feel.

Now, don't get me wrong, please. I'm not a great believer in the supernatural of any kind, and I don't really do much of the 'woo-woo' stuff. I don't do cards or talismans or charms. But I do believe we can influence each other on a very deep level, either consciously or sub-consciously - for me, that's a given - and I also know that the soothing and comforting effects that animals can have on us has also been well documented. I'm wondering now if my sub-conscious mind, knowing that I was at a low point and in need of strength, somehow brought that inner strength and comfort to me in that dream.

I dunno. As I say, I'm not big on that sort of thing. But whatever it was that the cat had to say, he said it so it could be heard.

And I'm glad of it.