I stood up slowly, the remains of tea and breakfast balancing on a tray in my hands as I made my way to the kitchen. When I turned to straighten a pillow on the chair behind me, I spotted my cat Wednesday asleep on the ottoman by the window. I watched as the early sunlight rose across her face, illuminating the delicate veins that ran through her ears. She’s so precious, I thought to myself as I turned to leave the room.

Walking down the hall, I felt a subtle collapse of my chest. My heart opened, and a flood of love and gratitude poured in. Tears filled my eyes before apprehension hijacked the experience. It’s so scary to love, especially after much loss, but I wouldn’t surrender to fear. I stopped, mid-stride, and closed my eyes. Feel it, I told myself. Let the love in. You can handle this.

Animals are angels dressed in cozy coats, here to help us learn to love in spite of our fear of loss. Poupon, our first cat, drove this point home when he suddenly became ill and died within two weeks. He was ten years old. The loss was devastating in a way I didn’t expect. Poupon was more than a cat. He was my “daemon,” a name coined by Phillip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass, originating from Greek philosophy. It means guiding spirit. This little gray cat, rescued from a shelter, didn’t just teach me to love; he taught me to live – to stay present and open, to find delight in a single moment, and to walk the path of grief consciously, with open eyes, so I could choose to love again.

Learning to handle loss is even more relevant now as the world we once knew is shifting beneath our feet. There has been so much loss in a short period of time. While it’s tempting to shut down and turn away, we need to trust that if we stay awake and feel the pain, we will rise again. That’s what facing grief does. It leads us inside, where we find a solid strength to lean on when life feels unsteady.

Here’s the headline to hold on to: Love and loss might break us open, but they also put us back together. I use this line as a mantra to bring myself back from the brink of despair. If I can handle the loss of a soul animal, I can handle anything.

Love,

Cheryl

P.S. – Last week’s Zoom gathering celebrating the release of the audiobook, You Can Create an Exceptional Life, is up on our website, and you can find it here.