Relax like a cat

I share my heart and home with four cats.

I have no business EVER being tense in the presence of these feline yoga masters. They pour themselves down the stairs like Slinkies -remember those?

If there is even one square inch of sunlight in the house they will find it and sprawl out as if they're on a beach in Hawaii. They can spit and pounce and ambush with the best of them, and then it’s gone and they’re quickly back in relaxation mode.
My living room has two large windows in front. When I’m having one of THOSE days I stretch out on the rug under the windows and bask in the daylight. Even if it's a wet day here in Oregon there is STILL light behind those raindrops.

I may start out alone, but within seconds cats start coming to me from wherever they are in our home. It’s as if they sense I’m ready to give myself up to the universe, and let all that wonderful healing energy pour down over me like syrup on a pancake.

One by one they come, brushing against my leg or sitting on my chest, purring their soothing love into my heart.

Like I said…yoga masters.

Om….

Chris

A picture is worth 1000 words...and a few tears

So there I was, visiting some online sites that cater to animal lovers. I stopped at retail places, rescue sites, social groups – anything that promised to bring a smile to a critter lover’s face.

And then I came to a screeching halt.

There he was – my beloved angel dog, Jake, sitting proudly next to a man I didn’t recognize. The picture took my breath away. Even though I was with Jake when he left this earthly life, for a fraction of a second I thought this WAS Jake!

It was more than a resemblance – this dog looked like a Jake clone! All the memories of our years together, and the pain of his leaving, came rushing back. It was overwhelming.

I closed down the computer, but it took awhile before I felt grounded. The next day I tried to re-create my steps and find that photograph again, but wasn’t able to.

Maybe I was meant to find that picture...in that moment…and for ONLY that moment. Perhaps that was a message from my dear boy, letting me know he’s happy and loved wherever he is, for I know that is true.

To read more about Jake visit http://www.lightheartedpress.com/jake.htm.

CHRIS
www.lightheartedpress.com

Take time to enjoy the view

Wishing all you animal lovers a peaceful and relaxing Labor Day weekend. Don't forget to take some time to enjoy the view...just like these doggies!

(Picture courtesy of my friend Muffet Arroll, who lives in Georgia.)

Cheers,
Chris
http://www.lightheartedpress.com/

Painting the Bones

The other day I was in a store, chatting with a man about his wife’s beloved cat. She had found the cat when it was a kitten, and the two had been constant companions for about 15 years.

The cat followed her “mom” everywhere including, on one fateful day, out to her car. Mom didn’t realize the cat was there until it was too late and she had run over and killed her feline friend.

The man said his wife’s grief was very great, and she had no way of handling her loss. A kind neighbor took the cat’s body and buried it in his yard. The woman did not go to the cat’s gravesite, nor did she speak of its passing.

Three years went by before the woman felt she was able to deal with her loss. The neighbor dug up the box and the woman brought her kitty home. Her husband told me she meticulously cleaned off all the bones, and then painted each of them in a color coordinated pattern so she would know how they all went together.

The painted bones went back into the box, and the box went onto a shelf in the closet.

We all grieve in our own way. It took several years, but this woman was finally able to find peace with her loss. In my heart I think all those painted bones magically found their way to her cat, and somewhere up in the heavens one very colorful angel kitty flies contentedly through the starry skies.

Here’s to painting the bones!

Chris
http://www.lightheartedpress.com/