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Sophie's Choice by Denise Anthes Our animal friends often go out of their way to make us happy. The story of Sophie and Bogie offers a prime example of this love in action. He would admit that it wasn't so bad that he'd been christened with the name of "Sophie," somewhere along the way. And that odd assortment of dogs in the house didn't really bother him much either. But now he was expected to fill THE BIG GUY's shoes. Sophie wasn't so sure about that! Bogie had been a cherished family cat for fifteen years. When he passed away, the human Mom really missed her good friend. She'd adopted Sophie, not to replace Bogie, but to help fill a hole in the human-animal family tapestry. Now, after a few months, she had a request. Juana and Bogie shared a routine. Every night at 10 o'clock, Juana would make a cup of tea and settle in on the couch for a little hug and purr fest with Bogie. They both enjoyed this end-of-day ritual. Juana really missed Bogie and now she shed some tears each night at 10 pm. She hoped that Sophie would like some lap-time cuddles, but he was shy and stayed away in the evening. Juana thought an animal communicator might be able to help. She contacted me and I chatted with Sophie, finding that he was happy and secure in his new home. He didn't need the nightly petting and snuggling. None of that mushy, huggy stuff, thank you very much! Since the energetic connection stays intact, whether we are in physical form or not, I decided to speak to Bogie. I knew Juana very well had met Bogie before. I reassured Bogie that Juana loved and missed him and that Sophie couldn't take his place in Juana's heart. Then I enlisted his help - to speak to Sophie and ask him to try sitting in Juana's lap at 10 pm. The next night, Juana settled in with her cup of hot tea and cozy blanket. She waited. No sign of Sophie. Her tea was cooling off. Then she saw a whiskered face and two clear blue eyes, peeking around the corner of the sofa. Sophie approached cautiously, suddenly hopping up into Juana's lap! He let Juana pet him as they relaxed together. Juana was delighted and so grateful. Sophie actually seemed to enjoy himself. This new habit continues for Sophie and Juana to this day. Now, it was initially very clear that Sophie did not need or want this evening ritual in his daily life. He decided to take part in it, because he cared about Juana. And he started doing it after a "chat" with Bogie had occurred. The optimal loving relationships that often develop between animals and their human companions is obviously a two-way street - each partner giving what is helpful to the other. Hopefully more of our human relationships can mirror this type of unselfish love. (See the full details of this story on the Testimonial page of this website.) © 2008 Denise Anthes. All rights reserved. This article was previously published in Critter Magazine, June, 2008. Denise Anthes is a registered nurse, certified healing touch practitioner and animal communicator. She resides in Weaverville, NC with Sammy, a 14 year old Peek-a-poo and Delilah, a 6 year old Cocker Spaniel. She offers Animal Communications Workshops and private sessions for energy work and communication. Please see Workshop page for details on upcoming events. |
Sophie |
Bogie |