The Consolation of Schrodinger
I believe most will agree that life is far from easy and that dark moments are an inescapable part of human existence. When I feel sad, when I feel confused, when I feel conflicted, when it all gets too much and my head is crowded with thoughts yet I do not even know what to do next, I lie down on my bed to calm myself.
On such an occasion recently, I was lying in a reverie and my consciousness was merging with the patterns of the changing light on the ceiling, when I heard small footsteps enter the room followed by a soft clump as Schrodinger landed upon the coverlet in a leap.
I lifted my head for a moment and cast my eyes towards him and he looked at me askance, our eyes meeting briefly in the half-light of the shaded room before I lay my head back and he settled himself down at a distance to rest.
I resumed my contemplation, trying to navigating the shifting currents of troubling thoughts as they coursed through my head but drifting inescapably into emotional confusion. Suddenly my mind was stilled and halted by the interruption of the smallest sensation, as insignificant yet as arresting as a single star in a night sky.
Turning my head towards Schrodinger, I saw that he had stretched out a front leg to its greatest extent and the very tip of his white paw was touching my calf, just enough to register. Our eyes met in a moment of mutual recognition that granted me the consolation I had been seeking. I was amazed. It truly was as if he knew, yet I cannot unravel precisely what he knew. I only know that I was released from the troubles and sorrow that were oppressing me.
When he was the church cat, Schrodinger lived a public life and developed a robust personality that enabled him to survive and flourish in his role as mascot in Shoreditch. After over a year living a private domestic life in Spitalfields, he has adapted to a quieter more intimate sequestered existence, becoming more playful and openly affectionate.
At bedtime now, he leaps onto the coverlet, rolling around like a kitten before retreating – once he has wished me goodnight in his own way – to the sofa outside the bedroom door where he spends the night. Thus each day with Schrodinger ends in an expression of mutual delight.
You may also like to read about
Schrodinger’s First Year in Spitalfields
Schrodinger’s First Winter in Spitalfields
Schrodinger, Shoreditch Church Cat
I am sure that animals connect to their people on a very deep level. Valerie
One of the great mysteries of life, the connection between humans and some creatures but so important for both of us.
What a touching story………as a cat owner I know that touch or look and, like you GA, my mood has changed because of one gesture from my close feline friend.
What a beautiful piece of writing. Dear Schrodinger, what a special cat. Sorry to hear about your sorrows and hope they remain at bay.
The extended paw, the leaned chin. Volumes.
You and Schrodinger have a wonderful connection, this touching moment is a testament to that. His actions are in response to the warmth, kindness and love you have given him in his new home.
In those moments when life’s problems seem too much to bear and also in moments of happiness and joy…… that familiar phrase “This too will pass” is apt and reminds us that both emotions are part of life and transient, we can and do survive both.
I hope your spirit is lifted and restored again soon dear GA, I’m sure all your readers wish the same.
Wonderful to hear that Schrodinger is fulfilling his role as stress buster… I also find that having some one-to-one time with my beautiful cat is the best way to get things into perspective.
I wonder if there will be statues of Schrodinger and Mr Pussy outside your house in years to come – along with the blue plaque of course!
A lovely story of healing from a cat. They are more attuned to us psychically than we might think.
Thanks
Very moving account of a cat’s perception. They KNOW!
My wish has been granted, thank you, dear G.A. Schrodinger is the best of cats. His life wasn’t easy until you took him in and he knows.
wonderfully moving. thank you for putting into words how I often feel about life as well (overwhelmed), and for recognising the deep spirit of your thinking, feeling, four legged friend.
Schrodinger sounds like our, sadly long deceased, lovely cat Splodge. Splodge was ginger with a black spot on his nose -hence the name!
We run a small Retreat House in North Wales, and Splodge learnt to seek out and comfort those who needed it. He was slightly disabled but was great at climbing up the apparently impossible. Occasionally he would turned up in a guests bedroom having come thorough an open window – on the first floor!
Unlike him, his predecessor Stripes once offered her ‘help’ by persistently joining in a Communion service I was taking in the church next door, ending up weaving her way between the participants during the most important part of the communion service! Her pastoral sense was very minimal and she was more likely to bite than comfort, but then she looked remarkably like a Scottish wild cat and we often wondered about her ancestors although we know she as born in Barnet, north London.
Cats of all sorts are, I think, one of God’s best ideas!
Animals are such a comfort. I do hope you are now feeling better about things.
So glad to hear news of Schrodinger. Cats are most marvellous!
How moving. I love my cat beyond words and I’m so glad you two have found each other.
Greetings from Boston,
GA, what a beautiful, honest piece about Schrodinger. Although I am not a “pet person,” your account makes me appreciate just what is about a pet that enriches the life of the owner. I am sure you will have a very substantial response from like -minded folks from this post…
What a beautiful cat. I do believe that cats are hugely sensitive to our moods particularly if we are feeling poorly whether physically or emotionally.
Lovely story. I have 3 cats myself, and each has their own quirks and personality completely unique and individual to each cat. All 3 are very loving in their own ways and bring calmness and love when it is perhaps needed most.
Dear DEAR Schrodinger – it is a great wonder how the animals near to us thus empathise – Wonderful Creatures and, as you write, Such a Comfort to Just Be Alongside. I am so glad that he was There for you, literally. My Westie, Frodo, would act in this way, until it was he who was no longer there in body – That was very Tough.
Long may you be under his paw! and that those troubles have passed and that new ones tarry.
With every good wish.
I know that special feline intuition too. I had a special connection with my sister’s cat, Bow, having known Bow since she was a kitten and having lived with my sister for a year or so, Bow and I had become great pals. She lived to a ripe old age. The last time I saw her she came running towards me, so I picked her up and she put her paws on my shoulder and lowered her chin between them and then kind of pulled herself in close, like a real human hug. It felt like a genuinely special moment of connection, and especially moreso as Bow died not that long after – so it’s now my final and abiding memory of her.
What a lovely account. Thank you for sharing it.
No question that kitties can sense their owners’ emotions. My little boy is so in tune with my wife and me it’s uncanny.
Aren’t cats wonderful! Your story is as well.
Jane
Thank you for the Schrodinger update. As Christopher Smart wrote of his cat Jeoffry, so with all our beloved beasties: “. . . every house is incomplete without him, and a blessing is lacking in the spirit.”
After my gastric surgery, when returning to a solid diet I struggled to keep food down, most meals would end with a sudden rush to the bathroom for a session on the porcelain telephone!
Every night our Birman, Chico would station himself at my feet , one paw touching my toe and he would stop anyone else from approaching until I had recovered. A wonderful companion that makes our lives richer.
Schroedinger :
“There, there, Daddy – l’ll make everything fine.”
He had a hard, disconnected life and now you have made each other’s lives wonderfully special.
Lovely update!
BlueBelle and Prince Jr. send their greetings to Schroedinger from Colorado and advise that we do very similar things here for our guardians.
Your cat is magnificent. And his eyes!? — They are so much like our cat Sathmo’s. The huge
luminous glowing green orbs, with that stunning outer edging of dramatic black. When I sit in our den in the evening, he enters the room and jumps up on the couch next to me. His first maneuver is to come near and face me, full on, as if he is seeking the OK to curl up. But, mostly, I think he knows how much I love to gaze into those mesmerizing eyes — and he is only too glad to show off.
You’ve found the words to describe the impossible-to-describe navigations between people and their animal friends.
So glad you and your friend have found each other.
Blessings and thanks.
GA, Life’s circumstances can feel overwhelming at times and the state of the world also can seem beyond comprehension. I do hope that the affection and devotion of your many readers will also bring you comfort. Saba
Dear GA… for some consolation is a wonderful cat. For others its a teddy bear as it was with John Betjeman …and me. Wherever you get your consolation it comes from a mutual respect for life itself . And a willingness to share your darker moments with those who will benefit from such revelations.
He is, indeed, a most noble and kindly cat. (I do like seeing the coverlet again, too.)
Lovely writing about a lovely cat. Hugs and love to you both.
What a Beautiful Puss!! I have Enjoyed this So Much!!
A wonderful story, my cat comforts me in exactly the same way. The touch of that outstretched paw is so powerful. Best wishes to you and dear Schroedinger.