Today is Christmas, a notorious day for miracles. The whole season gets stretched thin with unmet expectations and people desperate to make the impossible happen.
We miss those who should have been here and wonder where the meaning has gone.
I have a few loved ones on the edge of precarious circumstances and most certainly my Christmas would be more joyful if I knew they were having a warm and loving time. My blessings include knowing they are alive and other loved ones are safe. I have my haven, my life here in Maryland, and had given myself the gift of a 25-day Advent spirituality practice.
I am well loved and the Universe has a most playful, unique way of letting me know just how connected I am.
Some history first. Back on August 16, 2010, my soulmate kitty, Magic, went to the eternal beyond, breaking my heart in the process. I did not get another animal because I was living in other people’s homes at the time, but since moving back to my home this past May, I have toyed with the idea of getting another kitty. 
It occurred to me that Magic might reincarnate, but I did not know how I would find her if she did.
On December 23, I was supposed to play tennis doubles, but one of our four had a trip planned to Maui and forgot to tell us (really?). I was irritated because three people cannot play doubles and we were unable to find a fourth. In the middle of my search, my daughter, who is homeless in San Francisco, called asking if I could wire her some money for Christmas. I left work early because of course I want my daughter to have a Christmas. As I was leaving the store after wiring the funds, I saw the PetSmart across the street and wondered if Magic had reincarnated yet.
I drove over, walked in, and there she was. Only, she is a he now, but otherwise, nearly exactly the same: a black and white tuxedo kitty. He is nine months old and I knew instantly that he was her. He had just arrived that morning. Through the glass partition, we bumped heads. I could not leave without him.
The store manager thought I was a bit nutty when I kept saying “that’s my cat” and told this story over and over. But when I got him home, my step-daughter (who knew Magic very well) just about fell over, and this little kitty went about finding everything without hesitation. Magic is home. It isn’t about investigation. It is about confirmation that (just like before) she/he:
• Gets to sleep on my side of the bed
• Gets to sleep on any lap, regardless of availability
• Has to know what is going on all the time
• Is on the wrong side of every door
Had my daughter not called, I would not have gone by the PetSmart; had I not been stood up for tennis, I never would have taken the time to go in. The Universe absolutely conspired to make sure we found each other that day.
Inside of me is the absolute assurance that I already know this soul. A while ago, I wrote about replacement love. One of my regrets in life is that I have not loved those who are most precious to me when I had the chance to love them. I was always too busy, too anxious, too tired, too preoccupied, too often on my way to someplace else.
On this day of gifts, I have one of the ultimate: the chance to love again.
©2013 by Barbara L. Kass
Eternal Presence 
December 25, 2013 at 9:04 pm |
Looks, sounds, and feels like Magic to me. I will take your word for it. Pretty darned amazing but stranger things have happened. I’m so glad you have Magic back in your World again! Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2013 at 9:13 pm |
Hi, Sandi — Merry Christmas! I have family members checking out my sanity and double checking this cat. So far, everyone is amazed. On Saturday, January is coming over for our Christmas together. That will be the real test. She is 12 now and knows everything.
December 25, 2013 at 9:25 pm |
Barbara – I just knew, Knew, KNEW today’s post was going to be right smack-dab along these lines. I’m thrilled for you. Absolutely thrilled that Magic is back!
December 25, 2013 at 10:04 pm |
Hi, Laurie — everything I have learned about our souls and life tells me that we continue to exist and some of us come back for another round from time to time. There is magic in the Universe and it is ours.
December 25, 2013 at 10:14 pm |
Barbara, I am so happy for you, especially that you are ready, and have the chance to love again. Blessings to you,
December 25, 2013 at 10:34 pm |
Thank you, Ann. I was reading today that loving is addictive. The more a person loves, the more we want to love. It is a lot like chocolate that way 🙂
December 25, 2013 at 10:42 pm |
🙂 Have to laugh as you compare love to chocolate 🙂
Love is the most important gift we can give ourselves and others.
December 25, 2013 at 10:59 pm |
Barbara … I’m so happy to hear the joy in your voice now that Magic has reappeared in your life. Even when we think we can’t possibly be ready to love again, it has a way of finding us, and because we believe in the magic of love, we open our hearts again. How wonderful for you, and thanks for sharing your heartwarming story.
December 26, 2013 at 8:25 am |
Hi, Nancy — I had asked the Universe/God for a gift – something wondrous and joyful and this is what I got. Of all the things I imagined, this was one of them. Now, I need to live up to the trust that has been placed in me.
December 26, 2013 at 3:10 pm |
Oh, I have no doubt that you’ll live up to the trust, and in fact, I strongly suspect that you’ll far exceed your own expectations. You recognize the gift, and when you begin from that place, the rest of it becomes a labor of love. Sharing love is such a gift. Thankfully, sometimes we recognize this, and can fully expand into that space. That’s when the true Magic happens.
December 26, 2013 at 7:43 am |
A little “Magic” goes along way! What wondrous story! Yes Barbara the energy is there when receptive…
December 26, 2013 at 8:23 am |
Hi, Jeff – this morning, I am playing with this kitty with her old toy in the way that only she (he) and I remember. Some people might brush it off as the instinctive nature of the cat and the nature of the toy, but we had another cat for years with Magic who watched us play and never “got it.” I love this story!
December 26, 2013 at 8:29 am |
I understand completely!