Over the past several years, every time Longwillow has walked through the door to work with one of my animal companions, they have immediately responded to her presence with calmness and curiosity, even when they are usually shy or aloof. This was the experience I had recently when my cat of 17 years was dying of heart failure and soon to be euthanized. Longwillow called me unexpectedly one morning and offered to come work with us, as she had woken up with a feeling that she could help in some way. I understood in my mind that Wedge was going to pass in a few days, and though Wedge and I were sharing a lot of time together, I had distanced my heart from her in ways that I was not fully aware of until we worked with Longwillow. When she walked through the garden gate, Wedge acknowledged her right away, as if she had been waiting for her. She came and sat with us, and I was able to release tears and share and stories about Wedge and fully feel the joy and gratitude for our time together, and the grief and disbelief of her moving on.
Longwillow’s ability to help create a space for slowing down and paying attention to the present moment with awareness, and her open-hearted witnessing was incredibly helpful to me on a soul level. Longwillow helped me to feel the depth of the relationship I had with Wedge and how through her transition we were helping each other get to a new place. I felt connected to a broader, universal feeling of love.
After her visit, Wedge and I had three wonderful days together, with mornings purring in my lap wrapped in my favorite shawl. She was peaceful and one evening even caught and ate a vole that my other cat had brought in to her and released. I am still grieving Wedge, and am thankful for the richness that Longwillow helped bring to us.
