Dedicated to Sophie our beautiful kitty…

Lovie and I drove to the pound that day not knowing what to expect. Our hope was to find a little kitten to rescue and bring her home. Little did we know our lives would be enriched so much by a little kitten that captured our hearts and she would spend the next nineteen years with us, bringing so much joy, laughter and a lot of love to our lives.

Lovie was the one who picked her out. Sophie was the little one sitting quietly by the fence just watching the other little kitties romp and play. It was if she was saying…get me out of here! Lovie went inside the gate and the little kitten looked up into her face and that was all it took. Lovie picked her up and we filled out the paperwork and brought her home.

Sophie was only 6 weeks old, very tiny and just a warm little fur ball that fit in the palms of our hand. Her cute little face had a distinctive M marked on it and she was just as cute as a little button. Soph was white underneath and four white paws. Multi gray colored stripes on her back but blended in with calico colors too. Her fur was like cashmere it was so velvety. I research her breed and found out she was called a torbie which is a mixture of tortie and a tabby. Within that first week, Sophie became very sick almost dying on us and we had to take her to the vet. After a good dose of antibiotics and slowly building her immune system up, Sophie finally pulled out of it and she became a bundle of playfulness and so much fun to play with and observe.

Very early on, Sophie was a very unique cat. I don’t think she really knew she was a cat at all. She would fetch her little balls and bring them right back to you over and over again. We would play and she would actually rare up on her back legs and walk that way towards you if you did the same stance like a monster coming after her. She was so comical when she would stalk you and then all the sudden chase you if you ran. We lavished her with all kinds of toys and things to climb on. She loved to climb up on a chair and peek around at you while you were in the kitchen.. Like in the photo above.

We would take her to the park and she would walk on a leash just like a dog. Most times we always got stopped by a lot of people because nobody could believe that they were seeing a cat who walked on the leash. They would all comment about how pretty she was with her coloring and markings. It made us just beam as we already knew how special she was.

Sophie enjoyed traveling and went with us on nearly every trip. Forget pet carriers as she would have none of that. Not even when we would go to the vets, she would go for office visits in a little basket sitting as pretty as you please for everyone to adore her. When we traveled on vacation, Sophie would sit on a pillow between us in the car high enough so she could see out and she would watch everything with such interest. Whenever it rained… she was soo funny. She wanted to lean up against the dashboard and try to catch the wipers as it swished the raindrops away. That always cracked us up and it would keep her amused for hours. She knew when we stopped at rest areas for potty breaks we would get her litter pan set up and she would take care of bidness just like us and we’d be back on the highway without missing a beat.

She was a great traveler. She especially loved going on our camping trips to the cabin. She loved climbing the wooden bunk beds. And Yes… we snuck her in many motel rooms too. She thought it was fun and wouldn’t make a peep. We carried her in duffel bags and even in a small cooler one time! We’d get in the room and out popped Sophie all playful and wanting to explore. She loved it and we wouldn’t dream of her not being there with us. She loved playing and hiding in the drawers so we would leave them open for her and then during the day when maid service came we would hide her litter box in there and take Sophie into town with us transporting her in and out of the room in her special bag until the coast was clear. She did not have claws so she never damaged anything and never once had an accident.

When we would go into towns and cities we visited, Lovie would either put her in the front of her coat to carry her around if it was the colder months or we had a back pack Lovie wore in the front that Sophie sat in so she went right into the towns and shops with us. She was great doing all those things with us and very friendly to everyone who wanted to stop and pet her. Of course she ate up all that attention.

Christmas she made out like a bandit and when we opened our presents she was right in the middle of all the gift wrap and ribbons. She opened her own presents and loved it! Of course you had to keep an eye on her with the ribbons and bows as she liked to eat them. She ate a red ribbon one once and Lovie kidded that she found a bow wrapped present from Sophie in the litter box the next day. That was kind of funny but we knew ribbons were dangerous too so we really had to keep them away from her.

Floss was another thing she loved. If she saw you flossing your teeth, she would come running and lean up on your arm to get up close and personal and try to take your floss away. She was such a neat funny fur baby. Often times I would sing in the kitchen pretty loud and she would come and join in. I’d sing a verse and she would meow and wait for me to do another one. I would end up laughing at her.

Soph and I used to play hide and seek all the time. She was such a unique playful baby. We have dressed her up before in baby clothes and she didn’t mind one bit. Just as long as you were talking to her and giving her attention she adored it. She had several pet sweaters for the colder months and she loved to go out in the snow and play right along with us.

Sophie absolutely loved popcorn so anytime you had any, you had to make sure to break off the fluff pieces only- no kernels or skins, and give her some. We did not make a habit of giving her people food but she loved any type of bread. Just little bits of it. If Lovie had a bowl of ice cream, Sophie knew it and would keep tapping her on the arm as if to say give me some. Very rarely would we give her a taste of it but she loved it when we did.

Before I found out I had really bad allergies, Sophie slept right in the middle between us in bed. She was so funny. She had to have her head on the pillow so of course you had to share, and she always wanted to be covered. She would lay down and then look back and forth at the cover and you until you pulled it up over her to tuck her in. She was a cuddle kitty for sure and such a loving kitty. Loved to be held in your arms and rocked just like a baby. She would give you kisses and nuzzle your face and chin. Her little paws always had to be touching you very gently. She would wrap her paws around your neck just like she was hugging you.

When she was banned from the bedroom because of my allergies she got her own bedroom and bathroom when we moved into our house. She knew the night time routine and loved being carried to bed each night and tucked in. I will miss that. I will miss her meowing waiting patiently to get out of her room in the morning to be fed.

In the last couple years, we knew things were changing a lot for Soph. For one she lost her hearing completely and that was a huge adjustment and confusion for her. So was the kidney failure. Sophie was always very meticulously clean and I think it bothered her not being able to clean and lick her fur like she used to. I would take a warm cloth and wash her little face and paws and brush her which she loved.

For months now Lovie and I have wondered when it would be the right time to say goodbye. We both could not bring ourselves to make that decision because Sophie would still have good days here and there and how could we say okay this is the day we end your life. Everyone told us… you’ll know when the time comes. It was true… we knew without a doubt last week that it was time. I could tell every time I looked into Sophie’s face. You could tell she just didn’t feel good, her spark was gone and as much as I didn’t want the day to come, I knew it was time to say goodbye.

This week is going to be very hard. It already is. We have just a few more days with her and then we take her to the vets to give her the peace and comfort she deserves. We will be bringing her home afterwards to be buried where the spot will become a beautiful flower garden next summer with a memorial to her.

Sophie’s amazing loving spirit will be in our hearts forever and our love for her will never fade. Thank you Sophie for everything you brought to our lives. I know you will be at peace and waiting for us on the other side until we see you again. We love you and will miss you so very much.

Myspace Comments @ 123glitter.com




Get Your Tricks & Treats at The Inner Sanctum Halloween Party! I hope you'll stop by for a bite and join in the fun! If you've never been to a Virtual Halloween Party before... then stop in and check it out! ----------->>>>http:innersanctum@blogstream.com

Happy Halloween!
PolarB ;)

Give yourself the power

Your power depends on your perspective. And your perspective is yours to choose.

If you convince yourself that you're having a bad day, you will indeed experience a frustrating and unproductive day. If you assume that circumstances are allied against you, then you'll encounter great trouble in getting anything done.

There is a much more powerful alternative. You can choose to adopt and embrace a perspective that will work for you rather than against you.

Think of how you would feel if conditions were perfect, if your actions were highly effective and if everything was going exactly your way. Then, once you imagine how it would feel, go ahead and allow yourself to actually feel that way.

How would you act today if you knew you were going to be completely successful? Go ahead and act that way, and the success will come.

Put yourself in a position of power by choosing to feel the positive influence and effectiveness that you know is yours. Adopt the thoughts, feelings and actions of success, and you will indeed bring success to life.

-- Ralph Marston

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This is a great motivational message. Give yourself the power to be who you want to be and to do the things that you want to do. Don't let anyone hold you back, including yourself. Ralph's messages are always right on which is why I love reading his daily motivations. You own your own power and you can choose your thoughts for the day. It's up to you!

He's right. If you think you can't do something, then chances are you probably won't. Just the same as if you think you CAN do something, you WILL be able to accomplish what you set your mind and determination to do. It's all up to you and what you choose to believe.

Speaking of your power, I was listening to a tape series this weekend on Inner Peace and reclaiming your power and it was very interesting. The information was things I already knew but it is always good to hear the reminders. I thought I would share them with you because there is a key lesson in the message.

The core of the message is that Nobody or nothing can make you feel anything without your permission. If you find yourself getting angry, frustrated, disappointed or stressed out about something somebody did or said, it is because you have chosen to feel that way. You have given them your power. You say well what do you mean by that? I am not going around just giving up my power to anyone!

Well, yes in a sense you are because by devoting your energy and direction to being frustrated, angry, stressed or upset, you are giving up your power to the situation or person that upset you. I'll give you an example.

Two people can have the exact same experience or interaction with a person however what is interesting is they will come away with totally different perspectives of what just transpired. Example, let's say you are riding down the highway and a car comes speeding up beside you and then sharply cuts you off. Person A may continue driving on peacefully and not even be bothered by it. They think maybe the other driver was in a hurry or didn't even see me and they don't give it much thought at all. Person B however may get extremely angry and upset at being cut off and they get all worked up calling the other driver a few swear words, flip them the bird and they let it upset their whole day. Now remember that this was the exact same situation. Both people got cut off my the same driver but each person is making a choice to react to it differently.

See what I am talking about? The choice is yours. Are you going to give away your power and let somebody upset you? If so it is because you have given them permission by the communication you have within yourself. Did you realize that? The inner dialogue we have within ourselves is what triggers our emotional responses in how we are going to react to any given situation or person. That includes the positives and the negatives. Further more we usually tend to think that somebody or something is personally doing something to us intentionally which isn't the case.

That driver who was speeding and driving reckless didn't specifically target you in your car and say to himself- Now how can I get under the skin of this guy and piss him off? No, he wasn't doing something to YOU specifically, he was just driving like an idiot because he doesn't practice good driving skills or he isn't courteous of the other drivers around him. Most likely he didn't even give it another thought because he drives erratic like that all the time. However if you are person B, you have given your power away by directing your energy and thoughts to being upset and angry with him because he didn't act or behave in the way you thought he should according to how you would act or how you want to be treated.

When situations happen that upset us, we tend to make it personal. I'll give you another example. Say your friend is an hour late for a lunch date. You get upset and think to yourself, how could she do this to me? Doesn't she know I have other plans today or I have to be back at work. She must not respect my time or value our friendship if she did this to me. Then you start to play the blame game and turn it around to put the blame on her because she did not do what you expected her to do. You think to yourself, she is so irresponsible and doesn't care about anyone else but herself. You most likely are putting judgements on the other person because they have not done exactly what you wanted and expected them to do. This is the unspoken communication that you have within your self. The more you continue this inner communication, probably the more angry or frustrated you are going to get. Before you know it, you have given your power away. Your friend most likely will never even be aware of it. That's because most of the time your thoughts only affect you.

How do you know if you are making or taking it personal? Because most times when you listen to your inner dialogue you will end the sentence with ...to me. They did this to me. She is mean and hateful to me. I don't understand why they would say that to me. Etc....

When we get upset or frustrated or stressed out about something somebody did or said it is because we have an unspoken agreement within ourselves that they are not acting according to our "code of standards" in how we believe things should be and or in how we think we should be treated. In essence when we get upset with somebody it is because we are holding "shoulds" over another person's head because they did not do what we wanted them to do. Those should's of what we think other people should do become our unspoken expectations. When those expectations are not met, or get broken or are not followed through like we want them to be, you are sure to find yourself getting upset. You are setting yourself up in a vicious cycle of disappointments because most times the other person isn't even aware of your unspoken expectations.

The problem is that our "code" works for us, so we expect that everyone else would want to live by our "code", however we forget that others are interacting within their own "code of standards" and their own set of beliefs, thoughts and actions. Most times their "code" is not going to match our "code". If we think that everyone and everything "should" do what we want them to do, then you are just setting yourself up for disappointment and misery. Everyone has a right to their own "code" or their standards of how they interact with others. What is important to you may not be important to them. The wonderful thing about life is we are all uniquely different and that makes the world a very interesting place to live in. Imagine how boring it would be if we all acted and thought the very same way.

So how do you resolve this vicious circle you may find yourself in? You come to a place of acceptance. Acceptance means that we accept things and people as they are. This does not mean you let people walk all over you and you have to accept it. It means that with this knowledge you are going to react in a different more productive way to make the changes that will work for a win situation. Sometimes we just have to accept that things may not change the way we want them to but you can still be okay with the way things are going to be. Being okay in a place of acceptance means that you are not giving your power away anymore and situations and people do not have the ability to upset you the way they once did.

If you are continually trying to change others to come into agreement with how you think things should be according to your "code" or your standards, then it will never work and you will always be at odds with someone or something and you will give away your power away left and right. Is that what you really want to do? I know I don't, but it has taken me years to really get this and see the impact of it. And it takes practice. I figure over the years I have probably given away my power way more than I ever wanted to because I didn't even realize that I had ultimate control of my power all along. Nobody took it. I gave it away. Now that I have this awareness, you can bet that I won't be giving away my power like I once did.

So does that mean I am never going to get angry, frustrated, stressed or upset ever again? No, certainly not... I am human after all, aren't I? It just means that with this knowledge and awareness I can see the situation for what it is and I can choose how I am going to react to it. Maybe I'll even make better choices than I have in the past. The awareness is the key here and let me repeat something very important here. Nobody or nothing can make you feel anything without your permission.

Take back your power and be the person you really want to be regardless of how other people are and how they chose to be in their "code" of living. Don't give away your power and energy by becoming upset when things don't go your way or when people don't respond to how you think they should respond. This will take practice but the important thing is first having the awareness and seeing it for what it is. You will find that you will be much more content and peaceful in your life if you direct your energy to seeing the situation as it is and not having a knee jerk reaction and responding in a way that gives your personal power away.

Change the communication and inner dialogue that you have within yourself to take back your power. Your power depends on your perspective and the choices you chose to make. And your perspective is yours alone to choose.

Blessings & Bear Hugs,

PolarB ;)