My Hero

Sometimes I think animals have more power than we realize.

I will admit that I am a dog person. Although I have deeply loved cats in my life--four of them in particular--dogs have been the pets I couldn't live without. When S came into my life, he brought M, the gorgeous fellow shown on the left. My dogs went to live a few miles down the road with Grandma and Grandpa, but I still see them everyday, all day at work.

Living with M has been different. I can't roughly pet him. I can't make him sit on my lap. I can't spazz out with him; well, sometimes I can. Nevertheless, I quickly learned that our relationship is on his terms, which can be hard for a dog person to comprehend. M does have his moments where he wants to be lovey, though, and those are the times I most enjoy with him. Lately, he's been snuggling next to me on the couch at night--not on my lap--but next to me. He has also crawled into bed with S and I the past couple nights... which brings me to my point.

I was having the worst dream the night before last. I was in a situation I didn't want to be in, and I didn't know how to get out of it. While nothing was going wrong in the dream, I felt trapped, conflicted, and fearful--and I didn't know what to do. It was at that moment that M walked by the car I was dreaming I was in. It took a moment to register, but I was like, "Hey, that's my cat." Then it dawned on me that he was loose and I needed to get him. I was in a busy toll booth area. I got out of the car and he started to run away, leading me away from what I wanted to get away from. Then he ran behind the line of booths. I was held up trying to pass through security, and I kept yelling, "Stop that cat! Please!" Then a nurse grabbed him, but he scratched her. An Asian man met the same fate. Several other people were trying to catch him for me, too. Finally, I was free and starting to run toward him... when I woke up. And when I woke up, I opened my eyes, and M was laying directly in front of my face, staring into my eyes. He gave me this look as if to say, "I want you here; don't go to that place again." Or, to put it in more M-esque lingo, "Stick with me, Kid; you'll be fine."

It just felt like he was looking into my soul. I know that sounds tacky, but he rescued me from that nightmare in a very symbolic way... and he is my furry hero, my step-cat son. It is similar to how the dogs know when I am down and need them, and they magically appear to check on me and make me pet them. M did the same thing... just in his own subtle, cat-like way.