🐾 When the Cats Came Running: A Lesson in Being Seen, Heard, and Healed

🐾This morning, Max stepped on a burr on the way back from going potty.He limped five silent steps to me—not a sound.But when I pulled the burr out, Max yelped.

What happened next stopped me in my tracks:All the cats, both outside and in, came running—instinctively, protectively—just to check on him.

And in that moment, something deep inside me stirred.

The Ache of Being Unseen

I realized… I never really had that.

People checking on me. Checking to see if I was hurt. Checking, maybe, to support.

Instead, I remember many “talks” beginning with a sentence like: “I don’t understand why…” Then came their explanation of my why—with absolutely no real understanding of where I actually was.

They would go on to explain where they believed I should be—with no guide on how to get there. When I asked for clarity, I was met with some version of, “Figure it out. We all did.”

Why the Tools Weren’t Enough

I tried counseling. Many times.

Not because the counselors or therapists were bad, far from it. But in the end, I was always told I had the tools. It just came down to me using them.

And while there’s truth in that… something was missing. Retelling the stories of pain didn’t heal me—it kept the pain alive.

What Did Help

What did help was hearing others talk about it—others who’d actually been there.

People like:

Angie Atkinson of QueenBeeing.com
Richard Grannon of Spartan Life Coach
Little Shaman
Kris Godenz
The Crappy Childhood Fairy
Michael Mirdad

On platforms like Facebook and YouTube, their voices felt like lifelines.Their stories made me feel less alone.Their advice resonated.Not from theory—but from experience.

Why “Pushing Through” Doesn’t Work

I used to believe that ignoring all of it—just “pulling up my bootstraps”—was strength.But really… it perpetuated the pain.

What was actually needed?Healing.

Healing not just of the physical realm—heart, mind, and body—But healing of the spirit.

Healing Isn’t Instant (And That’s Okay)

Healing wasn’t some Connor MacLeod from Highlander, "POW, you're healed" kind of moment.

It’s slow. Not because God wants it that way. But because we often can only accept it that way.

Think about Agent Smith in The Matrix, describing the failure of the first simulation because it was “too perfect.”The ego has a hard time allowing. Perfection doesn’t leave room for growth—only acceptance.

The Turning Point: Listening After the Why

Healing started when I stopped explaining and started listening. When I asked—or maybe more truthfully, stated: “I don’t understand why…”

But instead of following that thought with all the ways I was wrong, broken, or behind…I paused. And I listened.

And I began to receive guidance.

When Guidance Sounds Like a Whisper

Guidance to:

Take a class
Foster a dog
Watch a video
Reach out to someone
Rest
Stand, move

Anything that asked me to pause long enough… to hear.

I’ve spent most of my life rushing around trying to heal. To a degree, I still do—rushing from one thing to the next.

Keeping busy.

Perfecting.

Working… instead of allowing.

Slowing Down to Heal

Now, I’m learning to slow down. To rest from the pressure of being constantly busy.

To quiet myself.

To listen.

To hear.

And maybe, just maybe…To finally feel checked on. By Spirit. By animals. By the small miracles that come running when we hurt, and remind us that we’re not alone.

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Elizabeth Ann

Educator and guide of Color & Convo LLC

1.719.671.5353

colorandconvo@gmail.com

https://www.colorandconvollc.com/

106/108 Oneida Street

Pueblo, Colorado

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Located at HOME: Healing Ourselves More Everyday

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