I became Hercules the Snow Leopard

I’ve come to really look forward to Sundays now, as I take advantage of the time I used to spend at church in praying and meditation.  Yesterday’s meditation took me to the peak of the Himalayan mountains where I became one with Hercules Snow Leopard.

 

At first I was cold, but then I became the blood that seeped through his veins.  I could feel me, coursing through him, becoming “me” in the form of a snow leopard.  As his blood, I could feel myself reaching every cell in him, first from the inside out and then in whole.  Once we had completely merged, I could again feel the world around me.

 

I felt the snow crunch beneath my huge, fluffy, snowshoe-like paws.  I could feel the wind on my nose and blinked against the sharp gusts.  I felt warm all over though because my coat was perfectly designed for days like this, and it was a beautiful day too.  I could see for miles and miles and miles.  The bright blue sky had only wisps of clouds that looked like the feathers of a great swan.

 

I noticed Cloe and Zoe Snow Leopards walking with me.  They were silently, breathtakingly, stunning.  All I could do was stare.  I could hear the hum of the Universe and it diverted my attention to gazing back out over the distant, snow covered mountains.  I could see past them to the stars, the galaxies and the beautiful colors beyond.

 

From that space images of relatives past came to me.

 

First my father’s image (Vernon Stairs) appeared.  Our ice blue eyes locked across the ether and I thought about how he had built Big Cat Rescue into a peaceful haven for these many displaced exotic cats. I thanked him for doing so with such precision, creativity and care, that millions of people around the world are daily awed by the beauty of the place and the wonderful homes we’ve been able to give the cats.

 

If not for his 20 years of toiling at his craft here, we would not be the example that others strive to achieve.  We would not be able to first mesmerize and then educate those who see the cats in these natural looking enclosures.  It is the perfect combination of the natural life they should have in the wild, and the sad fact that they are caged, that gets our message across so well.

 

I then saw Momma Jacquie (my mother’s mother Jacqueline Norris) and thought about how her shrewd, yet fair business practices were the example that made it possible for me to take on the challenge of caring for over 200 exotic cats over these past 24 years.  If she had not been my example to mimic, of someone who was driven to create a financial empire, I would not have been able to carry the sanctuary for the first 11 years when it cost far more to run than was provided by donations.

 

I thanked her for showing me that hard work pays off.  I thanked her for showing me that taking the high road always leads to better business.  I promised her I was still working on being beautiful and elegant like she was.  She wanted me to grow up to be a movie star, like the ones she grew up with; Carole Lombard, Lucile Ball, Mae West.  I wonder if she’s happy with my silver screen being Facebook?

 

Then I saw my maternal grandfather, BigDaddy (Floyd Norris) and thanked him for showing me how to love even the most unlovable.  I acknowledged his great patience and quiet demeanor that conveyed nothing but absolute love.

 

Next I saw, in great contrast, my paternal grandfather, (Harold Stairs) who always seemed to hate my mother and I because of her religion.  He didn’t seem to bear the same ill temper toward my brother, but maybe he held out hopes that Chuck would grow up to be like him.  Thankfully, that didn’t happen, but there were still lessons taught by my German grandfather that were equally important.

 

Sometimes people teach best by their bad example.  His example of being intolerant of those he considered inferior taught me to be tolerant.  His example of being a bully to his wife, taught me to be respectful to my spouse, in cont