Funny, I seem to have learned the best lessons from animals. There was Buddy, who showed me what it was like to live in fear and what triggers were. He was a stray and horrified of water hoses. I didn't understand it at the time (I was early 20's) , but respected it. I later found out, when he other owners realized he lived with me that he lived by a school and kids used to throw things at him (he hated all kids except my own). When he reacted they used to hose him down. I realized at that time that there was a reason and memory (even 10 years later) for this reaction. When his 'owners' came into my house to try to claim him back, he cowered behind me and shook. This was 5 years after I had owned him. I kicked the people out of my house and refused to let them have him, admonishing them for punishing him while he was being abused.
Yesterday I was out picking raspberries. It was early and I was in a kind of meditative state. Animals were everywhere. As I was finishing the bushes I heard a meow. I looked down and there was an older kitten. So trusting. So lovey. I pet her and loved her up.
I started to walk home and she followed me. All the way home. I didn't call her, she just adopted me. We have a cat here. I was concerned how that was going to look to the cat that 'owns this place'. I felt the cat was hungry so I opened the door to get food and water for her. She scrambled right into the house. Like it was her own. I watched in admiration (given my background of housing issues from birth) as to how she was so confident.
The cat who lives here didn't like the idea of her so much. There was a bunch of growling and a bit of a fuss when the new cat got too close to her. Dominance was established. I thought the new cat would leave for sure because she was frightened (I would have for sure). She stayed. She was determined to stay. She put up with whatever because she needed a place to stay and she had chosen here.
She follows us everywhere. Is trusting and loving beyond words. She has chosen us. There is such a lesson in this for me. She knows it is safe here. How does she know that? I have been wandering around for two days in awe that she can just 'know' and be so determined that this is where she wants to be.
Have you had animals that have modeled for you the simplicity of an action that seems complex to you?
Yesterday I was out picking raspberries. It was early and I was in a kind of meditative state. Animals were everywhere. As I was finishing the bushes I heard a meow. I looked down and there was an older kitten. So trusting. So lovey. I pet her and loved her up.
I started to walk home and she followed me. All the way home. I didn't call her, she just adopted me. We have a cat here. I was concerned how that was going to look to the cat that 'owns this place'. I felt the cat was hungry so I opened the door to get food and water for her. She scrambled right into the house. Like it was her own. I watched in admiration (given my background of housing issues from birth) as to how she was so confident.
The cat who lives here didn't like the idea of her so much. There was a bunch of growling and a bit of a fuss when the new cat got too close to her. Dominance was established. I thought the new cat would leave for sure because she was frightened (I would have for sure). She stayed. She was determined to stay. She put up with whatever because she needed a place to stay and she had chosen here.
She follows us everywhere. Is trusting and loving beyond words. She has chosen us. There is such a lesson in this for me. She knows it is safe here. How does she know that? I have been wandering around for two days in awe that she can just 'know' and be so determined that this is where she wants to be.
Have you had animals that have modeled for you the simplicity of an action that seems complex to you?
