Maybe Cats Really Do Know The Meaning Of Life - Guest Blog
Our cat Tinker became part of our family many years ago and it didn't take long for her to teach us all about the meaning of life. Sometimes as you grow up and the hustle and bustle of life takes over you really do start thinking that the meaning of life is to somehow find more hours in the day, or to be better at making shopping lists or, come to think of it, remembering to take your shopping list to the shops at all! In between canteen duty and the children's sporting commitments and helping lovely husband with work issues sometimes I feel like I can't keep up.
Just as I am about to turn into the frazzled housewife, along comes Tinker to give me her thoughts on the meaning of life AND, might I add she never lets me down. When she sees me frazzled she jumps straight on my lap and will just refuse to move, BUT I know what she is really doing is saying stop, sit and just catch up – maybe even have a cup of tea and re-gather. Just sitting there patting her helps me calm down and I do in-fact recharge. I need her to remind me sometimes. She keeps it all so simple and she's right, as at that moment the meaning of life message was to calm down. I got up after 'regathering' and of course stroking Tinker and I felt so much better and even clear headed.
Tinker also helps on the deeper issues too. We moved out of the family home after twelve years to a county some fifteen miles away. It was incredibly hard and sad as it had been our family home where we had raised our children from when they were born but, we just had to have more room as the children got older. I was so sentimental about our old house and so wanting to stay there believing fully that the meaning of life should be holding onto things we love and keeping it all the same. Whilst I knew intellectually we needed more room my heart was not in it at all. After me finally realizing that maybe the meaning of life is to move with the times we made the move but, after a week of settling into our new abode (even though my heart not in it at all) Tinker went missing. I was bereft and after sticking posters up and telling our neighbours we still had no Tinker after two months. I tried to settle in and love our new home but I just knew I was romanticising about the good times in the old home and of course missing Tinker too. Little did I know that Tinker was teaching me another lesson about the meaning of life I'm sure. As the next day the phone rang with the people that bought our old house saying that they had Tinker. I couldn't believe it and we were all so happy. We went straight over to pick her up but little did I know that I was to learn more about the meaning of life than I expected. After all the excitement about having her back died down and we drove off, I also realised just how much I needed to see the old house again to truly embrace moving on and start loving our new home.
Tinker and I both felt much better once we got home and ready to start a fresh. Tinker really is so special as I need these reminders about the meaning of life, I need help when I'm frazzled or being stubborn and she's always quickly by my side to make me stop and think. We humans really are so lucky to have our animal friends and if we let them they really can help us see the meaning of life.
Bio for Mel I love my children and my husband but a very close third is my beloved Tinker! Often while Tinker is teaching me yet another lesson and I am forced to stop and recharge I ponder the difference between the animal condition and the human condition.
What a nice story…our furry friends seem to know when to be there for us when we need them the most.
What a great post. Your cat Tinker sounds so great. I would have been frantic for the two months that she was missing, if I were you. I am so glad that you are back together.