I fell asleep on the couch yesterday afternoon and woke in darkness. The tv had turned itself off ( it does this as it’s on some sort of timer I haven’t been able to figure out as yet) but the fire was still burning , just that much to give the room some warmth and some light.
The dogs were asleep.
Dorothy next and on me, the other two in the cracks.
I wasn’t sure when it was, and lay there blinking.
I could hear the wind, and the tick of the kitchen clock
Then Albert walked passed the couch.
I heard him rub the couch as cats do with their sides when they are not in a hurry.
A muted rub and a vibration through the cushion
Then nothing more
I blinked once again and didn’t move then closed my eyes again for a few moments
before realising it was around 6 pm and time to get up for work
I wondered when the wee man would pay you a visit. How comforting is that? I am so glad for you.
ReplyDeleteI’m pretty sure I was still dreaming
DeleteMy TV occasionally turns itself ON during the night, and I'm obliged to get up and turn it off again. Could it be Billy wishing to watch 'One man and his Dog?
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely experience. Please don't brush it off as a dream. Treasure it. He wanted to join in with the cosiness.
ReplyDeleteDreams can feel so real. I think those we love remain in our thoughts and so are close to us. Albert is still part of the family.
ReplyDeleteAfter so many years of experiencing much loved pets, come and gone, I do believe dear Albert paid you a visit. How wonderful and comforting. X
ReplyDeleteWhether it was a dream or a visit, treasure it. After yesterday's post - the power of love, indeed. xx
ReplyDeleteJohn - you know when a lightbulb is shining bright - then you switch off - there is still the glow that remains - xx
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Deleteof clarity dear
DeleteThe family altogether for a brief moment.
ReplyDeleteI can remember laying in bed and a cat jumped up and laid down by me. Nothing there, but I knew it was Lucy-cat paying me a visit though she had gone over several years before . . .
ReplyDeleteSo kind of Albert to pay you a visit.
ReplyDeleteMy cat was black and Albert reminded me very much of him. Every morning at approx 4am he would knock our phone off the cradle and it would start beeping.
ReplyDeleteThe morning after he died that phone started beeping at 4am!!
A last goodbye 😔
I used to catch glimpses of my first black cat Bluey, long after he died. He would always be leaving the room right on the edge of my vision. The first couple of times I leapt up and dashed to the doorway to double-check my sanity. Then a couple of years later I was with my Mum while she visited a clairvoyant, I was just sat quietly in the corner until they finished. She turned to me near the end of the session and said 'Is that your black cat sat in the doorway?' 🐈⬛
ReplyDeleteThose dreams of beloved
ReplyDeletefurry friends that had become family before passing away were a great comfort to me last year. I never knew of anything I did to make the dreams come ,or why after several weeks they stopped.I do ,though. ,
believe I needed those dreams as closure given gently to help me understand I had done my best to love all I had the opportunity to .-Mary
I lost my cat in April last year and she most definitely came back to me for a last snuggle about six weeks later. She would snuggle up against my head when I laid on the couch and I woke up from a nap to feel her back there, purring up a storm and flicking my face with her tail, the way she did when she wanted attention. It might have been a dream but it was so incredibly real - the feeling faded away slowly but I’m convinced she came back to say goodbye properly.
ReplyDeleteHe's telling you the house needs a cat!
ReplyDeleteThe last kitty we had weighed next to nothing, yet when she walked, you could hear her thud thud thudding all over the house. When she passed last year, for days and days in the quiet mornings, I could hear her heavy steps. It made me smile.
ReplyDeleteLast night I dreamed about Albert and he was telling you to get another cat and it would be called Thomas! Wow! I kid you not. Gigi
ReplyDeleteThis reminded me of an experience my mother had about a year after my Dad had passed. She awoke from an afternoon nap, only to see Dad standing just inside her room. They looked warmly at each other, neither speaking, until he disappeared.
ReplyDeleteNina
Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThere is a hole in your heart that needs a kitty to fill it. Keep looking.
ReplyDeleteLovely x
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I am happy for you that he is still watching over you.
ReplyDeleteBeing remembered, is immortality
ReplyDeleteHow nice of Albert to pop in from the afterlife for a wee visit!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteWhen my black lab passed she walked by me while I was lying on the sofa. She had sparkles all over her. And the she disappeared. Love that dog so much.
ReplyDeleteI woke up in the night many times after my dog was gone. I was sure that I heard him on the stairs.
ReplyDeleteMy parent’s cottage by Y Lôn Goed was similar to yours. I heard them talking before dawn and went downstairs to see if there was a pot of tea. As I lifted the door latch the conversation stopped. It felt as if they had just looked up from their fireside chairs to say something, but there was nobody there. Just the faint glow of the fire and the night light.
ReplyDeleteI still wake convinced I just heard the "Frrrnt?" purred comment from my cat Ben, who was 17 when he died in 2005. Lovely memories.
ReplyDeleteBonnie in Minneapolis
I had a GhostKitty when we lived in CA in a brand new house.. go figure that.. We owned a cat at the time .. Jinx.. and while it COULD have been him anyone would argue but when i looked he was nowhere around.. Very nice description of the moment John.. I think Albert came for a visit.. Hugs! deb
ReplyDeleteTreasure such moments. Albert will be with you always.
ReplyDeleteLove lasts forever and Albert loved you! How sweet to see home, awake or still dreaming.
ReplyDeleteHope it's a quet shift.
Hugs!
Watson used to visit me often after he passed. I could hear his paws as he walked around the house on his walks to check up and make sure everything was safe. I miss hearing him. So much love. He knew I needed him.
ReplyDeleteSo happy that Albert is still looking out for you. I've seen several of my departed kitties from time to time. I always say hello! Our beloved fur babies are always with us. xo Julie in Los Angeles
ReplyDeleteThe joy of sleeping deeply and dreaming of beloved Albert. Dreamland is wonderful. Hopefully work will be easy.
ReplyDeleteVery nice of Albert to come visit you, his favorite human.
ReplyDeleteI also have had many experiences since very young so can relate
ReplyDeleteAlbert just letting you know he's there. Probably wants you to give another feline a home.
ReplyDeleteNice indeed! What a comfort.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm sitting here with tears running down my cheeks ..... missing pets that are no longer with me. Your writing often raises emotions in me, happy and sad. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI Don't Believe A Word Of It.
ReplyDeleteThese are exactly the words you said to someone who was wanting some comfort at a difficult time, a few months ago.
If I said it I meant it , and I put my name to it
DeleteNow fuck off
Oh dear....I remember reading both that post and comment and I felt sorry for the commenter before your comment but even more so after your reply
ReplyDeleteI thought you were harsh and unkind it was uncalled for as they were expressing their distress and in no way were they criticising you.
I wondered if you were having a bad day emotionally but after reading your reply today I realise I was wrong
You could have just deleted the original comment or ignored it.
Kindness and compassion John Grey, it's not difficult to practise once you get over your own ego
How the visit from Albert brought a tear to my eye. Upon occasion I deeply miss our little deer-head chihuahua, Duckie Doodle, who gave us so much entertainment and love over the many years he was with us. We had him "put to sleep" in August at age 18, and while I haven't had the kind of visit you had, I like to believe he's often with us. Stories like yours help me believe. -Kate
ReplyDelete