When my cat Gracie moved in over 8 years ago, I was struck
by how she immediately made herself at home, acting as if she’d lived in the
apartment her whole life. Despite having
spent her first 18 months on the streets and in 2 different homes, she just trusted
she would be okay wherever she was. Because
cats are also sensitive to energy, I took this to mean that my apartment, as
humble as it is, had good vibes.
Gracie’s open-hearted nature is quite unusual for cats coming
from circumstances like hers. Whenever I
hold her, I can feel her heart light up just like ET’s heart-light. One thing I noticed though was that Gracie,
with all her affection, was not a lap cat.
She would hang out next to you but never wanted to be on your lap. That is, until I made some changes in my
living room.
A few years back it was time to do some deep clearing in my
home and I got rid of some old furniture.
One piece was an old trunk that originally served as my childhood toy
box. When I moved to NYC, I painted it
and put cushions on it to leverage as both storage and seating. I knew it was time to let it go and replaced
it with a comfy chair.
When I purchased the chair, I envisioned it to be a place to
relax, read and watch TV. However, I got
more than I bargained for because it also became the chair that transformed
Gracie into a lap cat. As soon as you
sit in that chair, Gracie takes a flying leap into your lap, makes herself at
home and will sit there for hours if you let her. She purrs, naps and encourages you to pet her.
One day I remembered that, according to feng shui, the chair
is also in the love corner* of my living room and can’t help but wonder if
Gracie is somehow aware of it too.
Whenever I need a little love and affection, I know now to take a time
out in the love corner and Gracie will remind me of the infinite love that is
always available in any given moment.
After my grandmother passed on Valentine’s Day 11 years ago,
my heart chakra split open as my mother, brother and I cleared out her
apartment. During those 2 days, whenever
I was in the apartment, waves of energy poured through my heart and it was
because of all the love infused between those four walls. She lived in a subsidized apartment building without
anything fancy in her home, but all the memories of the love she shared had
transformed it into a sanctuary for us.
Whether you’ve lived in your home for decades or just a day,
whether it’s luxurious or a humble NYC walk-up, take a look around and make
note of what you appreciate most about it and what “sparks joy” to quote Marie
Kondo. How can you highlight the aspects
of your life that mean the most to you in your home?
What can you place in your love corner that reminds you of the love that’s always available to you and that you share with others in return?
For me, each time Gracie hangs with me in our special chair,
I can feel both our heart chakras open and remember that love is infinite and
always present no matter what else is happening.
*NOTE: The love
corner is the far-right corner of your home when you enter the front door or the
far-right corner from the entrance to a room.
