Thanksgiving: Gratitude for Catitude

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“I once had a girl. Or should I say, she once had me?” The Beatles may have penned that tune as a romantic melody, but those of us who live with cats know its other meaning as well. We may live with a cat, but we never have one, they always have us. And the girl who had me for the last 6 years, my beloved prancing and dancing feline friend Miss Purrscilla, made her transition into the Light at 1:00 last Sunday morning (Nov.22).

It seems so divinely designed that she should leave at the time of year that I celebrate Thanksgiving. I’ve devoted this week to celebrating her life (thanks) and I am so grateful for her love (giving.) We had many wonderful and adventurous moments on our journey together. She was an 8 pound cat with a full size lion heart. She was filled with spirit – or, as I fondly remember it, an attitude of catitude. I remember the time she had a staring contest with a bear when it ambled up to our back porch on a warm summer night. She earned her nickname “Little Black Bear” that evening. And she gave me a real fright last year when she disappeared for 2 days. Even though she was an indoor cat I looked everywhere, inside and outside; through drawers, cabinets, and closets, underneath bushes, trees and tall plants, all to no avail. She finally piped up with a cheery, “Meow! Where’s breakfast?” on the third morning. She had been stuck behind the stove for the entire time.

Miss Purrscilla
Miss Purrscilla

I was grateful to have my little girl by my side at the end. She was lying on my bed and I held her paw while she died. The intense mixture of emotions – sadness, joy and wonder – took my breath away. My most recent meditations have been filled with deep reflections on eternal life.

I have been present to that profound and powerful moment of entry into a greater world with both humans and animals. I especially remember many years ago a little whisper of a cat who died with a sigh in my arms. There is something humbling and awe inspiring about that momentous experience.

And it dovetails seamlessly with my soul’s greater purpose of being a spiritual midwife to our world in its moment of evolution and of its new birth. I have been a witness to many kindred spirits during moments of intense personal spiritual transformation. They, too, walked through a doorway into a greater dimension than they had ever imagined existed. What a blessing all those relationships have been.

On Monday I buried her furry body under the loquat tree in our back yard. I trust that her spirit has found its next great incarnation and that we will have a new relationship in the infinite, invisible energy that surrounds and indwells us all. For that gift, and so much more, I am grateful.

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Through her ministry, “Doorway Into The Infinite”, Rev. Maria holds the vision for the transformation of the consciousness of planet earth. She is a spiritual change agent committed to… educating people in the process of healing… empowering the world one creative thought at a time… and experiencing peace in our lifetime. Her articles, essays, and meditations have been published in various magazines. She has self-published numerous books and manuals, and released two recordings of guided meditations. She’s created a variety of classes, workshops, and spiritual performance pieces, where she expresses her profound interest in spirituality and peace. For more information, she can be reached at her website: www.be-the-change.com or at her e-mail: RevMariaS@aol.com.