Posted by Our 15-year old cat Jessie passed away 13 months ago, but she left a legacy as well as the fur balls under the furniture that I am still finding. I have missed her gentle loving presence now all these months and am just now able to write about her with only a few tears. She was pretty wise and especially adept at role-modeling good self-care. Her habits included the following:
-Starting the day slowly with big stretches and bigger yawns to get her going in a gentle way.
-Seeking sunshine and happy energy, hiding from the folks who came to visit with negative energy.
-Trusting and cuddling up close with people she could tell appreciated her.
-Sniffing her food first and feeling free to decline it if it wouldn’t work for her that day.
-Snuggling with wild abandon on “her people”, often giving dirty looks if I tried to stop her from sleeping beside my sleeping daughter.
-No matter how late in the day it was, Jessie was always up for a self-care nap and would encourage anyone to join her. No shame!
-Taking adventures. I let her live outside in our quiet neighborhood. Every now and then, I would spot Jessie under a neighbor’s shrub stretched out and relaxed, or upright and contemplating the sunshine peaking through the branches.
-When she needed affection from me or the dog, Jessie was not ashamed to ask for it: gently swiping her body and tail along our legs, licking cheeks and noses, or laying curled up under our arms/legs, and hopping straight into laps.
So there it is, old lady cat wisdom for a gentle affectionate path today.
3-Legged Table: Reframing Our Beautiful Chaos 