Tildy is not interested in taking out her anger and frustration on everyone and everything around her. She doesn’t beat herself up over not being beautiful enough, acceptable enough, tidy enough, rich enough, healthy enough, or clever enough. She doesn’t stress about foolish things like bad luck.
Tildy just gets on with loving herself the way she is and takes time out to contemplate the world around her and to just be. If she needs respite she goes and finds a place to hang out and get over whatever is ailing her, then she’ll come back rejuvenated for having kept her distance.
The only times Tildy rushes about are:
a) if it’s fun to do so (like chasing a butterfly)
b) the chase has food at the end of it.
Other than these really good excuses, Tildy will stretch out, relax, lick herself, and sleep.
Perhaps I should explain: Tildy is a cat.
A cat stretches to relieve tension and restore suppleness in an instant. A cat stretches the right way; we humans should follow her lead.
Do you have a special hiding space at home or in the garden, where you can retreat to when the going gets tough – no need to crawl under the bushes. 😉 – somewhere to lick wounds, and come back ready to pick up where you left off.
Many a cat can be set off purring with the mere suggestion of a pat, cuddle, or comfy spot. A cat loves to lie on the mat in front of a open fire, or in the sunniest corner of the garden. They just stretch out – every sinew and muscle – before slowly relaxing and curling into a ball. Do you think I could get away with doing that?
We humans do not purr, we humans laugh, but we don’t do it often enough. Laughter is a fast track to relaxation. It is cheaper than medicine, so we should laugh a lot more, and we should make others around us laugh too. Do we need to revisit the wonder in everything around us, and feel happiness in the simple things of life, just like a child?
If you are fortunate enough to have a loved one about, why not give them a massage, a hair brush, a foot rub, or a tickle, it will increase their level of contentment and help both of you to relax. Whether it’s because you or your loved one had a hard day, or because you’re just keen to help another person relax, a good cuddle, hug, or nuzzle will always come in handy. Every cat knows this, which is why they perform these caring rituals regularly.
The topic Relaxation was brought to us this week by the gently purring Delores at Delirious, so why not amble over to see what she is purring about, before visiting the other active members to see what treats are in store: Maxi, Maria/Gaelikaa, Maria SilverFox, Padmum, Paul, Ramana, Shackman speaks, The Old Fossil, Will Knott.