Soul Spotlight
December 17, 2008 by susan
Filed under Soul Spotlight, What is Soul Coaching?
Soul Spotlight features articles and interviews with *bright* souls
This month, I would like to introduce you to my friend Colleen who wrote a beautiful tribute to her cat Campbell. Colleen is an author, illustrator, Occupational Therapist, Soul Coach and all around vivacious woman. She embodies the word enthusiasm in all she does and is. I hope you enjoy the wisdom as she shares the teachings of Campbell.
The Tale of Campbell the Cat
Campbell knew how to live. He went after what he wanted, when he wanted, and never bothered to overanalyze the consequences before going for it. A true foodie (who appreciated everything from the occasional lick of a blow pop to salmon), Campbell would lay on the kitchen floor whenever I was fixing food and just wait until his moment. Usually his moment came when I would drop some people food in his bowl, though occasionally he became impatient with all the damned waiting and jumped on the table to help himself to my plate when I was not watching. And he never apologized (the times he was caught) about that sort of behavior really, because he clearly didn’t feel bad about it. He never felt the need to follow ridiculous human rules about how much life you were allowed to eat up. Instead, he ate up life at every chance he got.
Things Campbell feared, over the years, eventually became a source of pleasure for him. Once afraid of both the vacuum and hair dryer, he came to enjoy having his hair dried too and being hand vacuumed (no lie!). He figured out that things that scare you can often be a green light beckoning you forward to something wonderful. In the end he was rarely scared of noises, or anything else for that mattered. Campbell realized that there isn’t that much to truly be afraid of in this life.
Campbell would often lay in the middle of the floor in the kitchen, hallway, or living room because that spot was exactly where he wanted to be. He was not worried that he was in the middle of things, he did not run for fear of being trampled by careless humans, not at all actually. He went to where he wanted to go (except outside, though he never stopped trying!), and found his place, never apologizing if you had to step over him. He knew he had a right to be where he wanted. Campbell knew how to live.
Campbell wasn’t threatened by other cats, even when they were not nearly so friendly towards him. When a dear friend of mine let us stay with her right before we moved to Minneapolis, her two cats were quite distressed and ready to fight. But Campbell did not want to fight, he wanted the other cats to know that they had nothing to worry about. So he just walked up to the other male cat, looked him in the eye, laid down right in front of him, and relaxed. Even when I adopted Gracie, after seven years of him being an only cat, Campbell was not put out. Instead of being territorial or insecure, he immediately made friends and started taking care of her. I don’t think he ever once worried about not getting enough attention. He knew how amazing he was and expected people (especially me) to remember.In the end, Campbell knew he didn’t have to fight or compete with anyone. He knew was good enough, and that he belonged where ever he was.
And he was in a lot of places. Over the years he lived in Overland Park, Lawrence, Kansas City, Overland Park (again), Los Angles, San Diego, back to Overland Park, Portland, and lastly Minneapolis. Many of these trips were in the car, where he would often ride on the dashboard batting the windshield wiper lever to turn it on try to bat the wipers as we drove to where ever it was we were going. And though he never knew where we were going, he was never scared, he just enjoyed the ride. And though he was sometimes hesitant the first few days in a new place, Campbell never hid out for long. He was at home in life, and so wherever we happened to be was home.
Campbell loved affection from anyone and everyone, and was never snotty towards a soul. He came to greet all who entered my house, from lap to lap he would march, sharing himself with everyone, and never once fearful he would not be greeted with love. He just assumed people would love him, and they did. Even, the dare I say *insane people* who normally hated cats loved Campbell. I think, because Campbell knew how to live.
Campbell has been a part of my life since the summer after my senior year, and has lived in Lawrence, Kansas City, Overland Park, Los Angeles, San Diego, back to Overland Park, Portland, and lastly Minneapolis (Gracie, my other cat, joined us right before we moved to L.A.). He has been my only constant since my sophomore year in high school (Hallie, my sister, took wonderful care of him the first year of his life), my partner in crime, and my family. I cannot imagine my life without him even though he had to be put to sleep due to a blood clot on Friday night, Febuarary 12, 2010. But I also cannot imagine having been luckier to have him in my life for the last 14.5 years.
And so I am writing this because I feel like I have a message for you. It’s been Campbell’s message to me his whole life really, but now it’s mine to pass along. Remember how to live. Eat life up, all of it. Break the rules when they’re ridiculous, and don’t apologize if you don’t need to be sorry. Most importantly, do what you want to do in life.
- Embrace what you’re afraid of, it just might be a source of pleasure for you someday. Take up as much space as you please, and go where ever in this big world that you want. Don’t worry about where all the others are going, or if you might be in someone else’s way, or if you will be trampled as others go to find their spot. If you hold your ground, people will just walk around you and let you be.
- There’s no need to compare yourself or compete with others. Your perfect and wonderful exactly as you are, and unforgettable, you just need to remember that more often.
- Enjoy your journey, all of it, even when you have no idea where you going. It matters less where you’re going, if you are truly enjoying the ride. And no need to hesitate once you somewhere unfamiliar, instead make yourself at home quickly and assume you’re in the right place.
Be loving and affectionate towards others whenever you can. Chance are, people will love you for it. Love all people, and assume all people will love you. Even the people who are crazy enough to hate you because you are what you are. You might just win them over, but more importantly you’ll never feel uncomfortable being in your own skin.
Campbell has been teaching me these things all his life. Some days I noticed, other days I didn’t. I am trying harder now to learn how to really live since he is not here anymore to remind me. And now I am here to remind you: Remember how to live.
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