| Revelations with my Christmas Cat by Carla Wessel Houle In the summer of 2002, my 19-year-old French Birman cat Pierre became ill, nearly checking out. He is a very sweet, long hair, gray and white feline with a gray masked face and paws. He is a bit hefty, weighing in at 18 pounds, but he carries it well, appearing quite majestic and dignified. Pierre is a pedigreed cat who turned our household upside down years ago when he came to live with us against my husband's wishes. Foolishly, I promised Joe years ago we would never have an indoor cat. I was young and in love, and I did not realize what a difficult promise this would be to keep. Over the years, Joe and I raised four kids and many assorted pets. Our cats were always outdoor cats, but none of them could survive the elements outside more than four years. When our kids were teenagers, we had one cat, Cotton, whom I really thought must be part Persian and definitely should not be an outdoor pet, but still I did not speak up. When Cotton died several years later, it broke my heart as I was so attached to him. Years later, I was visiting my sister in law who raised Birmans. She offered this sweet kitten to me named Pierre. He would not make a good show cat as his blue eyes were too pale, and he had one paw with had a gray marking higher on one leg and unacceptable for a show cat. He intrigued me, reminding me so much of Cotton, and making me think about the possibilities of reincarnation with a pet. I sadly informed her we could not have an indoor cat. Still, she gave me the confidence to argue this with Joe, although we had an unresolved fight over it. When I met Pierre, I had become attached to him so quickly, falling in love with him immediately. I knew I should not care so much, but what could I tell my heart? Still I let him go and my relative gave him to a young couple who lived in an apartment; it turned out they were not allowed pets and so he was returned. By this time, my husband was embarrassed as everyone was making such a big deal out of this. I began to speak up more, and he, not too graciously, relented. I was surprised but ecstatic, and so Pierre joined our household that December, becoming my reluctant Christmas gift from Joe. Over the years I realized many things about Pierre: He is a healing cat, and an amazingly intuitive and loving feline, who was meant to be in my life. Whenever anyone in our family became ill, Pierre was right there, nurturing and loving them back to health. Now our children are grown and gone, but Pierre remains. This summer, he started acting strangely, hiding in unusual places and acting lethargic. (Admittedly, sometimes that is difficult to tell, as cats sleep for so many hours anyway.) I called a wonderful cat vet who makes house calls and she checked him over gently, informing me he is getting kidney disease, arthritis and cataracts. However with a new diet, Pierre started perking up again, although we are still in negotiation about his pills, which he refuses to take in any form. The breakthrough to his health was one evening after her visit when he was sitting on my lap purring, and we were communicating heart-to-heart, as usual. Pierre sent me the message loud and clear: He wanted me to write a book about him and tell people how important animals and pets are in people's lives. I had been working on another book, but I set it down and started writing about him, and this book flowed easily. Soon I will be getting this book out to the world. Sometimes animals may be in our lives a long time before we realize the many reasons why they have come to us. When I figured out what Pierre wanted, he seemed to relax and get better, immediately. He continues to be in my life, demanding my attention, and I would not have it any other way. He is one of the cards in my deck of dream cards I have created, and which I use for intuitive readings -- The Cosmic Four. My husband learned to tolerate Pierre over the years, and to accept and love him. Animals communicate with us to nurture and love us. They are here to heal us and sometimes rescue us from difficult situations, always bringing us unconditional love and teaching lessons. Goldfish swimming in a tiny bowl can be mesmerizing and relaxing for elderly people in a nursing home, making their sometimes-dull days more cheerful. A handicapped person can build their bodies and reenergize themselves while on a horse, getting into the rhythm of the animal and reawakening their muscles. Dolphins can bring positive energies to people, radiating with their powerful charm and jubilant joy. A guard dog can assist a blind man across the street and empowering them to live a more independent life. A singing parakeet can help a manic depressive person feel more connected to the world with music. A cat can sometimes cheer a lonely person who has lost their mate or someone sick with cancer. A tarantula can show one how to not be afraid of exotic creatures and that they also have their place in the world. Animals bring us so many gifts and enhance our lives with their purity of purpose, joyful energies and holistic healing love. Talking to trees, gazing out at the Grand Canyon, hiking in the mountains, staring at the mesmerizing ocean, collecting rocks along the riverbanks, viewing a gorgeous sunrise or sunset, snorkeling in the ocean as you watch the underwater slow motion show, or looking through a telescope at the rings of Saturn, or moons of Jupiter -- all of these things make us appreciate the world more and realize we are only part of a much bigger picture. They help us to rise above our human problems and see that we are all connected to this universe and simply need to tune into the melody of life. They help us see that there are gifts for each season and trial of life. My dear Pierre has shown me much more than I would have ever seen over the years if he had not been present in my life every day, purring, loving and connecting with me constantly with his purity and love. Thank you, Pierre, for the gifts you have given to us and for coming to live with us -- twice. Carla Wessel Houle has her own business, Angels In The Light. She will soon be reissuing her dream cards at Metaphysical Emporium in White Bear. She does intuitive readings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the Emporium, or other days by appointment. Call the store at (651) 407-8599, or call her at home, (651) 464-2304. Carla also gives classes on Intuition, Dreams, Angels, Walk-ins, and Animal/People communications. She does readings at parties, large or small, and gives classes at schools, for organizations, or in a home setting. Check with Metaphys.biz.www.com. She is currently writing two books, and creating watercolor visionary paintings. Copyright (c) 2002 Carla Wessel Houle |
||
|
|
|
