This week is one of my favourite times of year. I’ve always had an interest in life and a big part of that is an interest in death. As a kid, I was terrified that one day everyone I knew would be gone, that I too would disappear into the ether or back to the soil or anything else we choose to believe. It was a fast-track to therapy for me.
It’s also worth pointing out that I’m not a spiritual person before I get into this.
27th October is recognised in Mexico as a day of the dead for pets.
A few years ago, I lost my cat in pretty horrific consequences that I don’t want to get into here. My mind still turns to what it would be like if he was still around.
Lando was a small black and white cat with slight eyes and thick jowls. He had a way of looking into my eyes and purring that made me believe that not only did I have a soul but that it was bonded with his.
He was only with me for a short time but finding him on the streets, building his trust, taking him to the vets and discovering that he wasn’t chipped showed enormous trust on his part. I hope that I made our time together enjoyable for him, that he knew he was loved, that I was working on it, that there was a plan.
On the evening of the 27th (this week), my partner’s cat climbed onto my chest and sat looking me in the eyes, his paws together in a posture that was eerily reminiscent of Lando. He purred in that resonant way that goes right to your bones.
‘He’s got a message for you from Lando,’ my partner said.
Tears silently fell down my face until the cat on my chest was a blur.
If you have an animal with you as you read this then give them a squeeze, tell them that you love them. Our time here is finite. Theirs is less and in their time, we become their everything.
Leave a Reply