Hildegarden

We have two feral cats, Clare and Hildegard.  We named them for the saints of those same names, and like all people and cats they have their saintly and not-so-saintly moments.  Because they’re feral – we’ve been unsuccessful in fully taming them despite 10 years of trying – no one sees them very often. My father once said that if had a name like that he wouldn’t come out either! Oh well.

Many years ago we were out-of-town for a week and my mother was left in charge of these cats.  She got worried because she never saw them, and set one of her great-grandchildren to looking for them.  Elizabeth asked, “What is that black and white one’s name?  It has something to do with a garden.”  And so they re-named Hildegard Hildegarden.  And mostly it has stuck.

I was working in Nellie’s Garden a few weeks ago and there in the sun sat Hildegard. Opps, Hildegarden!  She could only have gotten in there from underneath the Hotel.  Which, as it turns out is one of her sleeping places.  We had been wondering where she slept and went at night, but never considered Nellie’s Garden.

It’s a perfect place – quiet, protected, sunny, probably some voles or mice to make for some sport.  My guess is that it is the privacy and security that is so attractive to this feral cat.  Who does not want that sometimes?  A secluded place to relax and be yourself, do what you want without fear of being watched or bothered.  It’s the beauty of the garden and so many places around it.  They are places to slow down, stop, sit and let your soul catch up with your body and mind.

I hope that you have a place or two like this in your life.  Maybe it’s a favorite chair by a window, maybe a park near you, a favorite spot at your church.  If you do not have such a spot, I urge you to find one.  A little nest like this can be a place to be attentive to yourself and to God.

Really, who does not benefit from a nap in the sun?

Thanks for the reminder Hildegarden.

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