One Intention for 2025: Be More Like Max

Finding Intention By Way of the Cat

When I was finally able to corral Max and take him to the vet for his latest wounds which didn’t seem to be healing, my biggest concern, after his recovery, of course, was how to keep him from getting injured again. The local bully I’ve named “Mr. Grey” seems to have a single goal in mind: to get Max out of his way so he can move into his territory. This wasn’t the first time he’d left Max all bloody and battered, but it was the first time the wounds weren’t healing.

As it turns out, I needn’t have worried. When I first released him from his private hospital room (aka my guest room) still wearing the cone of shame, he wandered timidly around the house, finally settling on the love seat where he could spread himself across its entirety in regal comfort. From there, he watched the other cats perform their daily rituals from a safe distance.

As time went on, he ventured further afield, even sleeping on my bed for a couple of nights before returning to his haven. Then came the days when he’d wander around yowling, leaving me wondering if he was ready to return to the wild. But when I’d open a door, hoping against hope it wasn’t what he wanted, he’d either turn his back or run the other way.

Following Max’s Wise Example

Now that we’ve ascertained he’s decided against returning to the world of a barn cat, he’s solidifying his decision by investigating all the warm, soft, comfy spots in my house. His return to my bed at night led to showing a preference for my body pillow, especially when covered with a fleece blanket. Small wonder he now cranks his warm, deep, lovely purr up to full volume every time I come near him, and leans into every pet as if the touch of my hand is pure ecstasy.

What I’m leading up to in my usual, long-winded way is, I’m setting an intention to be more like Max; finding pleasure in the simple things like a soft pillow, a warm blanket, and simple, uncomplicated love, and most of all, adapting when his world went completely sideways. My warm, wonderful, adoring ginger has made me see what I’ve been missing in his own, unique way; it’s not about having a horde of adoring fans (not that I aspired to anyway), or a posse I called upon every week to entertain, amuse, and support me. Instead, it’s about finding my own comfort; my own safe spot; my own self-love, and allowing the rest of the world to go on around me, interacting when, and if it felt right on both sides.

Comfort in Being Alone

Despite my moments of blindness, I’ve never been alone. There have always been a couple of people who touch base, even if it’s just a text to let me know they’re there when I need them, and I’m never physically alone because my cats are always in attendance. No matter which room I’m in, or what I might be doing, there are at least a couple of them hanging out, or checking in; climbing into my lap, or shoving their noses into my hand for a pet.

Some might see this as a sad, lonely existence, but the truth is, I have never needed or wanted a lot of people in my life. Too many people means too many expectations, and too little opportunity to be my own, quirky, complicated self. It means I fall into the trap of trying to fit in where I don’t belong in the first place beyond the surface level of shared experiences, and common location. It means I forget it’s OK to be alone in a crowd some of the time.

2025 will be my year of learning to find comfort in being alone; in having a minimal social life at times; in spreading my wings and trying new things; in letting my world change as much as it needs to, and adapting to those changes joyfully; and most of all, in re-discovering the passion I’ve lost lately for simply moving wherever the music takes me.

Grateful for Examples, Wherever They Come From

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for Max who not only stopped me from worrying by becoming comfortable as an indoor cat, but is showing me the simpler things in life.
2. I’m grateful for the friends who have been there for me all along.
3. I’m grateful for being able to give myself time to find the happy place I lost last year.
4. I’m grateful for returning to simplicity in a life which became too complicated for my taste.
5. I’m grateful for being OK with being a loner when the crowd I’m in isn’t a good fit.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.