This blog was inspired by the wise teachings of our eldest cat, Tess. The powerful message she delivered to me in the months prior to her leaving her physical body, in November last year, was about flowing with change. As she went through her own metamorphosis she helped me to flow with her change, and to understand why often our animal companions are more easily able to flow with change than us!
Looking back, I see that in her own way, Tess had been ‘nudging’ me to recognise that there was resistance in me, to the change that she was undergoing. Once I’d awakened to this, it allowed me to acknowledge the unexpressed emotions, and let them come up and start to clear. As they did I began to feel Tess more strongly. I realised that this suppressed emotion had been hampering our connection.
From this clearer space I knew Tess was reminding me to be present with her. Many of you will know how I’m passionate about ‘being present’ (also called ‘being in the moment’, or ‘mindfulness’), and its’ ability to quieten our minds. Put simply it’s about engaging all of our senses in whatever it is we are experiencing, in that moment. If this idea is new to you, and you’re interested to find out more, you might like to read my blogs ‘being in the moment‘ and ‘a gift for our animal companions‘.
As I sat with Tess, fully present, I could feel what I’d always felt from her, a ‘powerfully reassuring’ energy. My fears faded, I knew she was ok. I realised I’d been allowing my mind to focus on her ageing body, and my fears about that, rather than feeling into her and her truth.
Tess had always had a sense of deep wisdom about her. One day sitting with her, she reminded me that from this place of deep wisdom she felt no fear, instead ‘totally supported by life and the Universe’. The sense of ‘support’ from something ‘bigger’ is something I’ve come across quite consistently in my communications with our animal companions. I’ve found they have a strong sense of a ‘bigger picture’. I believe it’s because they are in tune with the earth and also feel a connection to something ‘bigger’ – whatever you wish to call that, God, Source, Universal energy or other. They also feel and know that we are all interconnected. Whilst in some instances the ‘noise’ of life may dampen these aspects, they seem to retain an innate sense of these connections and a knowing of their importance.
As humans we have a tendency towards feeling separation, rather than interconnectedness, with each other. Our fast paced, technology fuelled lifestyles, with the high demands we place on ourselves, can result in us feeling disconnected from the planet we live on, without a sense of connection to anything ‘bigger’ than us.
Because animals retain a bigger picture perspective they experience their lives in a greater context. If you’ve experienced a time when suddenly you have understood the bigger picture surrounding something you will know how powerful and transformational it can be. Often when we have that ‘aha’ moment we are able to feel more at peace with the situation. When I sat with Tess, I could feel a sense of expansiveness and connectedness (difficult to convey in words) with everything. I’d describe it as similar to the feeling when I look up at the stars at night. She was reminding me of the transformational power of this view point in response to fear based emotions.
Tess had never been overtly expressive with her affections, not big on sitting on laps or being held, yet she consistently gave out a steady, gentle feeling of love. In these moments of pure presence with her, I could feel into her amazing reservoir of love. One day sitting with her, she took me back to an experience we had had earlier in the year.
She’d had an overnight stay at the vets for some help with her fluid levels. As I drove out of the vets’ car park I experienced an intense wave of emotion about leaving her there and I burst into tears. Then I started to feel an amazing energy surrounding me and the most immense sense of love and compassion. I knew she was showing me that although she wasn’t with me physically, her love remained with me. She was reminding me that she was much more than her physical form. The love and compassion I felt transformed my tears and sadness into a feeling of deep inner peace. It was such a powerful and memorable experience, reminding me of the power of being in a space of love, allowing ourselves to receive love and seeing through the eyes of love.
Through these wonderful last months that I spent with Tess I was privileged to be able to see the experience of her transition through her eyes. As I felt her become less and less attached to her physical body I knew without a doubt that she was at peace with this. She had surrendered, she was flowing with the change and she was letting go with love.
It was an immensely powerful period for me and I feel blessed to have had this experience with her. She reminded me of the power of being fully present in a situation and how it allows us to experience it for what it truly is, free from past patterns and future fears. She reminded that there is always a bigger picture at play, even if we are struggling to see it, and to trust in it and the Universe. She reminded me that whatever we are experiencing, staying in a space of love can help us.
With her metamorphosis Tess brought me a simple and powerful message about change……
Being present, recognising and trusting there is a bigger picture at play and staying in love can help us move through change with greater ease.