My Cat, Rikki, Taught Me A Valuable Lesson

A few years ago, I was on my bed, taking a brief rest, and my cat, Rikki, joined me, contemplating her shadow created by the sun pouring into the room’s windows.  All animals, domestic or wild, have a way of grounding us in the present moment, even if it’s only a few seconds, if we are able to be open to that.  At this moment, Rikki was sharing her serenity and calmness with me. I had a knowing that she was reminding me to just be.  She was teaching me a quiet kind of mindfulness by just being herself, and she was teaching me to do this for myself. I felt in my body what Rikki was sharing with me in hers:  that peace isn’t something you chase; it’s something that you settle into.

She and I stayed this way for ten minutes or so.  Clouds moved across the sky, and Rikki’s shadow disappeared.  She turned to me, blinked slowly, stretched her back, and then jumped off the bed and gracefully walked out the door of the room.  On that day, Rikki taught me a wonderful lesson – one I needed -- about settling into peace and openness.  

As an animal communicator, I know that any animal we have now, or one who has passed, is with us for a specific reason.  Our animals know us deeply, well beyond words we say to them or our physical gestures. They sense our energy, pick up on our unspoken thoughts, and understand far more than we can imagine. They find ways to communicate with us, even if their messages challenge us or contradict what we want to hear.

While looking at her shadow, the lesson that Rikki taught me was an important lesson to let go of trying to control situations and to embrace trust: stop forcing and start flowing with the present moment. Animals around us are always offering wisdom.  If we take the time to observe, what might they be trying to tell us?